Amen
by Angelustatt
Summary: Third Story in the Protectorverse. Dean, Sam, John and Elise are racing against time to save Skye from the YED. All Hell is unleashed on the earth, with tragic consequences for Dean and Skye.
1. Here With Me

_A/N: Okay...so here we go. Sorry for the wait, guys. I really do have to cut back on the amount of things I'm trying to juggle at once. LOL Anyway, I hope this was worth the wait? I have big plans for this story and although it was supposed to only be trilogy, things have outgrown that idea...so there will be another story after this one. As always, I owe Tara aka LovinJackson for her tireless efforts of reading this and listening to my insane ideas. You're a legend, mate. I seriously suggest everyone check out Tara's latest vid she has made for this series. You'll find her Youtube link on her profile. I have a new one for this fic, myself. Same deal. Check my profile page for the link...and feel free to leave some love. I'll shut up now..._

_The title Amen comes from the meaning "So Be It"_

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_I didn't here you leave,_

_I wonder how am I still here,_

_I don't want to move a thing, _

_It might change my memory _

**_Here With Me - Dido_**

**Denver, Colorado….**

The city was a smouldering wreck on the horizon, but it was still a welcome sight for Dean Winchester. His beloved Impala had gotten them there without missing a beat, reliable as ever and as he glanced at the car's sleeping occupants, a brief sad smile twitched up one corner of his mouth.

John was slumped, snoring lightly, his head against the passenger window, arms folded across his chest. It was a sight Dean hadn't seen in a long time and he was warmed by it. Sam was sprawled across his corner of the backseat, one arm draped over Elise as she was curled into his chest, the pair of them looking so young. Like a couple of teens on their way home from a party.

Dean wondered what Sam's reaction would be when he woke up and saw Elise snuggled into him like that? The big jerk might try and deny it all he liked, but Dean knew his brother well enough to know that Sam was attracted to the girl in a big way. It was nice and kinda reminded him of Sarah….Elise had just seemed to click with Sam. Maybe it was the fact they'd both been thrown together and forced to rely on each other? Whatever it was, Dean liked to see his brother like that and hoped Sam had enough brains in that geek head of his to keep Elise close.

Life was too short, too full of pain to screw around when it threw something good your way. Looking over into the backseat at the tiny sleeping figure of Connor, Dean found that truth driven home all the harder. He'd lost so much time with Skye and now he had lost her….she'd been stolen from him by the same damn yellow eyed son of bitch that had been trying to destroy Dean's family since he was four years old.

But Dad was back now…okay, so he was a little more birdman now days. Dean didn't care if it meant he was back. The same applied to Sam and his new found darker side. It had scared the hell out of Dean to see his brother tear those demons apart with his mind back at the church….but it had saved his ass, Dad's too.

After all they had been through, Sammy being a little darker, a little more ready to shoot first and ask questions later, was a small price to pay.

That was what he kept telling himself anyway. Because if he thought too much about the fact that Sam had shot him? That the only reason he was alive, was the demon blood in his veins? Dean would lose his mind.

There was saying Dean recalled hearing once……something about being careful not to turn into the thing you trying to kill…or staring into an abyss and having it stare back at you? Dean couldn't remember it properly now, but the thought behind it had a deeper meaning for him now. He didn't want to become the thing he hunted. He didn't want his family to be destroyed by the fight they had been caught up in all his life.

And he wanted Skye back. That thought had been burning through his mind for the past few hours while everyone else slept.

Exhaustion tugged at him relentlessly now. His back had long since developed a deep seated ache, his arms feeling like lead as they held the wheel. He blinked, feeling the scratchiness in his eyes that told him he was running on reserves alone. But Dean had to. Skye needed him. They were running out of time and Dean wouldn't, couldn't risk Connor losing his mother. Growing up with that gnawing sense of loss all his life.

The outskirts of Denver had slipped past them in the darkness without any fanfare and more importantly, without any trouble.

The city seemed to be deserted. Or at least the streets were. Dean looked around him as they cruised through, ignoring blinking, fading traffic lights and swinging around smoking car ruins. The demons had apparently hit here and hit hard.

For all Dean knew, there were people still here, hiding out in their homes, praying that the demons didn't find them. He hoped that was the case because this whole Omega man deal was really starting to get on his nerves.

"We've hit Denver?"

Dean's gaze slid sideways as the sound of his father's grizzled tones. " Yes, sir. Got in about twenty minutes ago."

"Pull over somewhere." John rubbed a hand across his stubbled chin and blinked a few times to clear his vision as he sat up. "We need to find somewhere to hold up for a few hours."

"We're not that far from Wyoming, Dad. We should keep going."

" And what? End up wrapped around a tree? You look like hell, Dean. You need to rest."

" I'm fine."

John appraised his son with a knowing look. "No, Dean. You're not. You're healing from a bullet wound to the chest and god knows how many other injuries that should have killed you. That blood I gave you might keep you on your feet? But you're not immortal. You need to give your body a chance to rest and recover properly."

"Dad…"

"That's an order, Dean." John growled, fire tipping each word.

"Hey…everything okay?" Sam's sleepy voice was concerned as it drifted over from the back seat.

"Everything's fine, Sammy." Dean ground out with a sigh as he saw the steel in his father's gaze and acquiesced to his order. "We're stopping for the night. Any suggestions of where that should be? I'm guessing we've got the pick of most buildings in Denver by the looks of this place."

Sam squinted his eyes, his arm still curled around Elise as he looked out the window and tried to pick somewhere they could use. He sat forward, trying not to squash Elise as she stirred, his arm pointing over Dean's shoulder. "Dude…what about that?"

"Walmart? Are you kidding me?" Dean gave his brother that echoed his question. " Since when did you get all Natalie Portman on me, Sam?"

" So you're admitting you've seen the movie?" Sam's lips quirked into a smile.

Dean blanched, then looking over at his father to see the man's shoulders shaking with laughter as he tried to look out the window. "What? No! I'm not admitting that!"

"Oh, really? Cause it sure sounds like you are, Dean."

"Shut up, Sam!" Dean barked. He looked at his father. " You gonna help me out here?"

" No…I think you're doing a pretty good job of digging your own grave there, dude." John smirked. "But your brother's suggestion makes sense. We can get food, hopefully top on supplies there too. It's worth a shot."

Dean watched his father for a moment longer, then shrugged. "Fine, whatever….it beats the hell out of staying in another motel room."

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The store was a mess, but not to the extent Dean and Sam had expected it to be. It was as if the looting had started, but then stopped before it got into full swing. What the hell had happened? Had people just given up and ran for their lives? Had the demons overwhelmed the city that fast?

It was a sobering thought. Dean could see a streak of dried blood in one of the checkout aisles and he instinctively looked back through the glass doors to the Impala, where Connor and Elise were sat.

Sam was standing just inside the door with Dean, his eyes scanning the darkened store. " Dean…the traffic lights and street lights are on outside, right?"

" Yeah?"

"Then if we can find the main power switch for the lighting in here? We should have power…" Sam suggested.

"You using that college boy brain again, Sammy." Dean grinned at his brother. "That's some good thinking. We should grab some things from the trunk first, though."

Elise switched on the tape deck as she sat waiting, Connor curled asleep against her. In the darkness of the store, she could just make up the shapes of the boys, talking to each other. Twisting in her seat, Elise could see John standing near Missouri's car, talking to Bobby and Missouri, the conversation becoming heated.

"Dammit, John, will you just listen to me?" Bobby growled in frustration. " We can't deal with this alone! It makes sense to get backup."

"You want me to take my boys to the safe house you sent Ellen and Jo to, Bobby. How the hell do you think they're gonna take to the sight of me, huh? Think they'll be happy to see me? Think all those hunters will be glad I'm back from Hell? Cause I'm thinking just the opposite." John argued. " I'm thinking the only welcome waiting for me and my boys, will be at the end of a smoking barrel. We're not going and that's final."

"So you're planning on facing the demon on your own then, just you and the boys? No back up? It's suicide, John!" Bobby couldn't believe what he was hearing.

John stepped forward into his friend's face. "You know as well as I do, that the word will be out about Sam. Hell, it was before any of this even started. You how word used to spread around the Roadhouse, around the Hunter's circles." He didn't want to fight with Bobby. The man was simply trying to help, trying to get Missouri somewhere safer and John was all for that. But there was no way he was taking his boys anywhere near a hunter safe house anytime soon. Not until he knew they weren't going to be seen as the enemy. Taking a step back, John's gaze was still burning into the man. "Skye's running out of time. Now you want to get Missouri out of here and check on the Harvelles? You go right ahead. We're heading to Wyoming tomorrow."

"You always were a stubborn bastard, John Winchester." Missouri said with a sad smile. You didn't need to be psychic to read the man's mind and know there was no changing it. " We'll be in touch. You watch your back and make sure those boys look after that baby and that girl, you hear me?"

John appraised Missouri for a moment, then stood down, the fight slowly easing out of his muscles as he chuckled. "Yeah, I hear you. You watch you own back."

"Pigheaded son of a bitch…." Bobby muttered softly, shaking his head as he opened his car door.

"Always have been, Singer, you know that." John grinned at the man and waited until Bobby's sour demeanour cracked and a smile finally appeared. " You two watch yourselves."

Missouri started up her small sedan and backed out of the parking lot with a curt wave to John before the pair were on the road, tail-lights fading in the distance.

John headed back towards the Walmart, rolling his shoulders irritably. His shirt was starting to become tight across his shoulders. The itchiness growing more and more. John could see the boys digging through the Impala's trunk, arming themselves.

"Boys?" John gave them a questioning look. "What's the plan here?"

"Dean and I are gonna do a sweep of the place, find the main office and turn on the power." Sam explained as he loaded up the shotgun in his hands.

"No." John said, shaking his head and reaching past Sam into the trunk himself. "Sam, I want you to stay with Elise and Connor. I'll do the sweep with Dean."

"But Dad…"

"Sam, she knows you better than she knows me. Now that's an order."

Sam narrowed his eyes at his father, but held his tongue. It was typical of Dad to just charge in and take control, ordering him around. Dean did the same. It was as if they didn't trust him to do the job properly or something. Some things never seemed to change with his family and Sam wanted to scream in frustration. "Fine…."

He pushed past his father and brother, opening the driver's door and dropping in behind the wheel with a huff. Connor curled into Elise's neck, turning away from Sam.

"You okay?" Elise asked, reaching out to place a hand over Sam's as it rested on his leg.

"Oh I'm just great. Situation normal in the Winchester family." Sam sighed sullenly, glancing down at Elise's hand and finding it soothing to have that contact.

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The Walmart was huge. Dean was pretty sure he'd been in smaller towns in the past. The aisles just seemed to go for miles, carrying everything you could imagine and then some…although a lot of the stores merchandise was missing or scattered across the floor now.

It was eerie and too quiet for Dean's liking. He found himself treading on the balls of his feet to soften his footfalls, moving with a panther-like grace through the shadows, his gun held lightly in his hand, gaze sweeping back and forth catching the slightest movement.

Every so often, a short sharp whistle would cut through the air to his left, alerting Dean to the fact his father was still on the move and safe. Bird calls seemed a little redundant inside a store, somehow.

It felt so right to be hunting with his father again, the pair still attuned to each others movements and skills. Like a finely oiled machine in motion.

When the deep throaty growl rumbled through the air like the throb of a Harley's engine, Dean had his gun sweeping over to cover it before his mind had actually thought about what it was doing, moving purely on a hunter's instincts. His finger was still nestled lightly on the trigger as the source of the growl stalked into view. It was mastiff, build like a small horse with muscles that slid easily under it's coat. The dog eyed Dean cautiously as it growled again, saliva dripping from it's jaws, it's teeth bared menacingly.

"Whoa…easy there, Cujo.." Dean murmured, lowering his gun slightly to try and show the mutt that he wasn't a bad guy. "You here alone?"

The dog continued to growl, taking a slow, aggressive step forward.

Dean frowned a little, knowing he was in trouble if this dog decided he was good enough to go on the menu. Judging by the fact Dean could see several ribs on it's coat and the dog seemed to have what looked suspiciously like blood on it's chest, he didn't want to provoke it at all if he could help it. Becoming puppy chow to some half starved mutt wasn't on his list of things to do, that was for sure. "Come on…give me a break. Go find someone else to harass, will you? I'll bet there's still some dog food in the pet aisle, dude…knock yourself out."

The only answer he received was another step forward. Dean huffed out an impatient breath, wondering if he could back away, then go around the stupid dog. Shooting it seemed kinda cruel. It wasn't the dog's fault it was hungry and for all Dean knew, it had claimed the Walmart as it's territory. "Look, I'll go this way…and you…I don't know, go find a garden setting to take a leak on. How's that sound?"

The mastiff took another step.

Dean rolled his eyes now, his patience wearing thing. "What? Do I smell like milk bones or something? Get the hell out of here, you stupid dog!"

Another step.

"Christo." Dean muttered jokingly, thinking that he might need to signal his father to distract the stupid dog. The last thing he expected, was for it to react to the word, it's eye suddenly flooding over oily black as it's growl deepened, haunches coiling as it prepared to leap.

"Son of bitch…" Dean's eyes widened as the dog leapt for his throat. He had the presence of mind to throw an arm up in time, a roar of pain ripping from him as the dog sank it's teeth in to the bone.

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John's head snapped around as he heard Dean's scream. "Dean!" He had a rough idea of Dean's last position and instantly started running. There was no telling what could have attacked Dean, but he was still healing, his body would be slower to respond.

John wished his wings were fully formed again. He could have used the extra speed right now, not to mention, the ability to get to Dean as the crow flies instead of weaving his way through aisles. It was John's biggest fear, something that had been nearly played out too often since he had become a hunter… that he wouldn't be able to save his sons. That something would take them from him.

John rounded an aisle to see Dean lying on his back, one arm trapped in the jaws of a massive dog, struggling furiously with it as he frantically tried to reach his fallen gun.

"Dad! Shoot the fucking thing! Get it the fuck off me!" Dean bellowed. "Watch your ass…it's possessed."

Possessed? The demons were desperate enough to possess a dog? It the damn thing hadn't been attacking Dean; John might have laughed at the idea. He brought his gun to bear on the animal, hesitating only for a moment as he took into account the movement of it's head as it ripped Dean from side to side.

Dean kept alternating from punching the dog in the head and ribs to trying to reach for his gun, finding it just out of his reach again as the mastiff dragged him away from it with a vicious jerk on his already badly torn arm. "Arrrghhh!! Let go of me you freaky asshole dumb mutt!"

"Dean, I can't get a clean shot at it. I might hit you." John warned, his gun lowering again as he took a step forward, considering trying to pull the dog away and have it turn on him…it was better than watching the damn thing eat his son alive.

With a growl of his own, Dean stabbed the dog in the eye with his thumb, hating the way it popped, but finding his arm suddenly free. Three shots rang out loudly as the dog's head suddenly shattered with a spray of blood as John took the opportunity to take the thing down. Dean scrambled backwards, cradling his bloody and torn arm to his chest, panting from pain and exertion.

A thick column of smoke poured from the dog's body and hovered between Dean and John as the eldest Winchester began reciting the Latin rite needed to send the thing back to Hell. With a strange that sound that was almost a hiss, the demon fled, flying up to the ceiling and through it, disappearing.

Dean watched the last place he had seen it, making sure it wasn't about to come back for round two, before he finally sagged when he was sure the coast was clear. Lying on his back, he felt his father's hands on his wounded arm, checking the damage and pulled his arm away with a hiss of pain. "Oww! Easy, Dad!"

"You'll live…" John informed Dean with a tight smile. "You good to walk? Or do I need to leave you here while I find some bandages?"

"I'm fine. Not the first time I've been some mutt's chew toy. Remember that hunt in Oregon? Those Black dogs were a bitch…literally." Dean chuckled, his voice laced heavily with pain as he struggled to his feet with John's help.

"Yeah, I remember." John nodded, not taking his hands from Dean's shoulder until he was sure that his son wasn't about to collapse on him. "Just stay close. You're not as sharp as you could be. I've warned you before about running yourself down, Dean."

"Oh god, spare me the lecture, Dad. I'm fine. Slap a bandage on it and I'm good to go. How the hell was I supposed to know it was possessed?" Dean sighed; trying to ignore the fact blood was still running through his fingers as he tried to stem the flow, a tremble settling into the limb.

"We can't assume anything anymore." John stated grimly, hating the way Dean's voice had taken on the tired, petulant tone that hadn't been heard since his son had been a teenager. It showed just how very tired and worn out Dean was. "Let's get that cleaned up. We can forget turning the power on tonight. Probably best we don't advertise our whereabouts anymore than we have already. We can finish our sweep and then salt any entrance to this place."

Dean merely nodded, the soldier in him taking over as exhaustion sank deeply into his bones and made him just want to sleep, forgetting all about the pain and how much he missed Skye right now.

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" So…. Dean seems nice."

Sam looked at Elise for a moment, then rolled his eyes and sank back into the driver's seat. It was typical…just typical.

" What? What did I say?" Elise gave him a puzzled look, her hand absently running her finger through Connor's fine blonde hair as he lay asleep in her lap, head lolling back over her other arm, body completely lax and peaceful.

"Nothing." Sam muttered sullenly. "I'm just used to hearing that a lot, that's all. Dean's a hero, Dean's a nice guy…oh my god, is your brother single? He's so hot." His voice had lifted to a high pitched impersonation of a girl's voice.

Elise tried to stifle the giggle that erupted from her, earning a slightly startled and indignant look from Sam. The guy really didn't have a clue and Elise found that sweet. He was utterly clueless to women, that much had become apparent to her in the short time she had been in Sam's company. She'd heard about the girlfriend and while the details were missing….Elise knew enough to know the relationship had ended suddenly and badly, if Sam's reluctance to talk about it was anything to go by.

It intrigued her, because despite the darkness that she had seen in Sam, the rage that burst forth so easily if his family was threatened….or even Elise herself, there was so much tenderness still inside Sam. It was the light that balanced the dark. Two sides of the same coin. It was the softer, tender side of Sam that had kept her close to him. Seeing that shy little boy smile on his lips, or hearing the affection and admiration in his voice as he spoke about his brother and father. No matter how much Sam might be frustrated at being treated as the youngest Winchester, which he was; Elise could see that he loved his family more than anything. It was something she could relate to.

Shaking her head lightly, Elise couldn't help but giggle as Sam twisted in his seat to look at her, his face folding up in confusion. " What?"

"You. Have you heard yourself? Talk about little brother syndrome. Any minute now I'm waiting to hear Bette Midler break out into Wing Beneath My Wings…" Elise teased.

"I'm sorry?"

"You know…_it must have been cold there in my shadow…_" Elise's voice carried softly as she sang before it collapsed into another fit of giggles.

"Oh ha, ha." Sam gave Elise a withering look, but it was tempered by the soft smile that was twitching up one corner of his mouth. He watched her for a moment, struck by how comfortable he felt with her. It was a nice feeling. One Sam hadn't allowed himself to enjoy for so long, because every time he did, it turned out bad. Jess, Madison….even Ava. They'd all been touched by the Sam Winchester curse and he couldn't let that happen to Elise. She was so full of life, so full of a brightness that he almost felt it could blind him if he stared long enough, drawn to her like a moth to a flame….and well, that never ended well for the moth, did it?

"All I'm saying, Sam…is that Dean's nice. Your Dad too. You seem a pretty close family and it's nice to see, that's all." Elise gave Sam a warm smile that grew as she saw Sam's widen in return. " Of course…if Dean was single…"

The smile faltered slightly before Elise's renewed laughter drew a full blown grin and a chuckle from Sam. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

" You bet, mate…" Elise grinned, winking at him. She looked towards the doors. " They've been gone a while, do you think everything's okay?"

"Oh yeah…they can handle themselves." Sam nodded, although the tone of his voice showed a little doubt, a tinge of worry for Dean and John as he looked towards the building himself. It was a little nerve wracking, sitting out in the car in the dark. Sam felt exposed and vulnerable, especially with Elise and Connor to watch over. " You know, you could have gone with Bobby and Missouri. They'd have taken you somewhere safe."

"What, I'm not safe with you?"

Sam was caught off guard a little by the question, because he wasn't honestly certain of the answer. He didn't know what he was becoming, how deep the darkness in him ran….and no matter what he felt, what he thought, Sam kept coming back to Jess. He'd loved her so deeply, had planned to marry her and have children…the whole American dream. But that was all just a bitter nightmare now. A reminder of what he wasn't supposed to have because the Yellow Eyed Demon wanted him. Or at least he had. His future was unknown now. Good or evil….Sam didn't know and it scared him. "Maybe…maybe not. You've seen what I can do."

"Yeah, I have. And I'm thinking I'm a lot safer with you, Sam, than with a psychic and a mechanic. No offence to them. But if there's an army of demons roaming around? I'd sooner be standing behind the guy that can smoosh them with his mind." Elise stated it so simply. There was just no reason for her to be anywhere else in her mind.

A figure emerged from within the store, his arm held close to his body in a sling.

"Sam." Elise reached out to squeeze his leg without thinking.

Sam felt a warm flush rush through him for a split second before the sight of Dean, wounded, crashed over him like a bucket of ice water. " Stay here."

He climbed out of the Impala as Dean walked over, moving stiffly, tiredly.

"Grab our duffels, dude, we're setting up for the night." Dean said as he walked towards the car.

"What the hell happened, Dean? You okay?"

Dean nodded. "Came across a possessed dog inside, thought I was a squeaky toy." He paused and shook his head, laughing. "Man, that's never going to sound right. A freaking possessed dog….I mean, what the hell, dude?"

Sam quirked an eyebrow. " You sure you're okay? What the hell was Dad thinking, sending you out here to get us?"

"He didn't. I volunteered. Wanted to check on Connor." Dean stated plainly, his gaze sliding past Sam to the Impala and the tiny figure asleep inside.

Sam swallowed slowly and nodded, rendered mute by the look in his brother's eyes. It seemed that the curse wasn't exclusive to Sam alone. It was a big part of why Dean had always been a player….he hadn't wanted to open himself up to that pain again after Cassie. Because for all the bravado and flashy display, Dean was someone who gave himself completely when he was allowed….and the wound he was carrying now that Skye was missing, went right to Dean's soul.

Then, as if a switched had flipped inside his brother, Dean seemed to straighten a little, an easy smile appearing. "Sammy…our stuff, dude. It ain't going to carry itself."

"What do I look like? A pack mule?"

"I'd never say that about you, Sammy." Dean waited a beat before he went in for the kill. " You more Ogre than donkey, dude…."

Sam replied with a glower as he flipped his brother the bird, sighing at the laugh that Dean was now having at his expense. He loved his brother…he really did. But there were times when Sam just wanted to kick his ass…..

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By the time Sam, Dean, Elise and Connor were inside the Walmart again, Dean carefully checking the salt lines once they'd entered before he shut the main doors and locked them; John had already gotten them a place to sleep for the night.

While the food and electrical goods had been looted, the bedding and furniture department had been left relatively untouched. There was a set of beds on the display floor and nearby, John had set up a small gas barbecue to cook them something eat on. A pot of tinned spaghetti was bubbling gently as Sam dropped the duffel bags and let himself sit down heavily in one of the deck chairs that had been set up. "Anyone else getting a feeling like we're in a George Romero movie?"

"Shut up, Sam." Dean was busy tucking Connor into one of the double beds. He ran his hand over the little boy's head, then walked back to the semi circle of deck chairs, dropping into one tiredly.

John poked at the spaghetti and wrinkled his nose a little at the smell. He found himself gently pushed aside a moment later by Dean as he gave the pit a rapid stir. "Tinned spaghetti's bad enough without you burning it, Dad."

John glowered at his eldest, then shrugged. " Why don't you cut me some slack? It's not like I had much chance to have cooking lessons in Hell."

" You could burn water even before then." Dean grinned.

"You want to watch that attitude, son…" John warned, but his tone held no fire.

The food was served up on plastic picnic plates a few minutes later, a hush falling over the group as they ate, feeling the drain of the trip creeping up on them all. Dean especially. He barely ate half his plate, before he dumped what was left back in the pot, rubbing at his eyes. " I'm hitting the sack….night all."

He crawled into bed beside Connor, careful not pull on his injured arm that was still throbbing and even more careful not to wake the little boy. As his eyes began to slide closed, Dean felt Connor shift beside him, curling into Dean, one little hand locking onto his shirt as a tiny murmur slipped from the boy.

"Shhh, it's okay, Connor. It's okay. I'm here, buddy." Dean whispered softly, feeling Connor relax again beside him. He drifted off to sleep, the soft conversation between Sam, Elise and his father lulling him to sleep.

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_Smoke…. He could smell smoke. Was there a fire? Where was Mom? Dad? Dean slipped out of bed, making his way hesitantly towards the room that he knew his brother was in. Hearing the panicked cry of his father._

_His heart was pounding in his little chest as he reached the doorway of the nursery and saw a sight that was horrifyingly familiar, yet so alien all at once. His mind had played this out a hundred thousand times in the past. Always the same, just replaying the events. Replaying that night. _

_But this wasn't the same dream. Dean found himself staring up at the ceiling, seeing not his mother, but Skye there, bleeding, burning. The smell choked him, the sight so terrifying that he would never forget it. _

_Looking for his father, Dean saw it wasn't John Winchester rushing at him with Sammy bundled up in a blanket, but himself. " Take your brother outside as fast as you can. Now, Connor, go!"_

_Connor? No….he was Dean. Wasn't he? But how could that be when it was Dean turning back to the nursery, screaming Skye's name desperately. _

_Dean was suddenly running for the front door, barely reaching the lock on his tip toes as he struggled not to drop his little brother. The door was heavy as he tugged it open, his heart racing so fast in his chest that he thought it would explode. Nothing made sense anymore. _

_Running onto the grass, feeling it cold and damp beneath his tiny bare feet, Dean looked up at the blazing window of the nursery, waiting for his father to appear and scoop him up. " It's okay, Ethan."_

_Ethan? Where was Sammy? Dean looked into the bundle of blankets in his arms and saw a face he knew wasn't Sam's, but he recognised all the same…because this was Ethan, Connor's baby brother. _

_Looking up at the nursery window again, Dean stood and waited for his father to appear….because he had to. It was how it had gone that night. But then, this wasn't that night….this was something else. Dean-- or was that Connor-- knew in that instant that his father wasn't coming. Dean Winchester was dead. He had died trying to save Skye, the pair dying in the flames together. _

_The windows blew out then as he tried to shield the tiny body in his arms, running from the fire, from the heat and death, tears streaming down his face as he whispered over and over again to his little brother that it would be okay. That he would keep him safe always…..always. _

Dean sat up with a gasp, his heart pounding, the smell of smoke and charred flesh still in his mind. As far as nightmare's went? That one had sucked beyond the telling, leaving him fighting for moment to clear his mind and realise that it wasn't real. There was light filtering through the store, telling Dean that it was daylight outside now. How long had he been asleep?

He reached out for Connor, wondering if he had scared the little boy by waking up so suddenly?

His hand found an empty space on the bed beside him and Dean was instantly stumbling out of bed. " Connor!"

Sam sat up sharply on the bed he'd been sleeping in, noticing for the first time that Elise had crept in at some stage during the night, curled up next to him. " Dean? What's wrong?"

John was already getting out of bed, pulling his boots on. " Dean?"

"Connor's gone. Dammit…where the hell could he be?" Dean ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Dean, calm down. He can't have gone far. We'll split up. You take that direction, I'll go in this one. Sam, you head for the front of the store. Elise, head for the bathrooms…okay?" John spat out the orders easily, taking command of the situation and seeing a sense of calm come over Dean.

They went their separate ways, each of them calling for the little boy, trying not to think the worst.

Dean wanted to kick himself. How could he have been so damn stupid? Why hadn't he woken up as Connor slipped off the bed? If anything happened to the little boy, Dean would never forgive himself. Hell, Skye wouldn't either. Dean was all Connor had right now. He had to find him, he just had to. That's all there was too it.

Every empty aisle he found, scared Dean more and more. He could recall times when Sam had hidden from him as a kid and how the fear had been electric. How he could taste it, it was so strong. It was the same now. The coppery, metallic taste on his tongue, his stomach knotting up so badly, Dean wanted to vomit, the blood pounding in his ears.

A soft giggle had Dean freezing in his tracks, his head whipping towards the sound. Then he was on the move, sprinting down one aisle and skidding into the next, to find Connor covered head to foot in peanut butter. A jar lay at his feet with the lid off. The thick, gooey substance was all over his hands, his face, and his clothes. But the smile Connor had on his face as he looked up at Dean, hands outstretched, was the best thing Dean had seen ever. " Dee, peanough budder!"

Dean walked forward and scooped Connor up in his arms, not caring that he was getting covered in crunchy peanut butter spread as he held the little boy close, just inhaling his baby scent and thanking whatever god there was, if there was one, that Connor was alright.

"Dee okay?"

Dean pulled back slightly, smiling at the sticky, caramel coloured kid in his arms. "Yeah, dude…I'm okay now. But don't ever run off like that again, okay? You scared me. You can't go doing that. You hear me?"

Connor face dissolved into a sad little pout and he nodded solemnly. "Sowwy…."

" Hey, I know you are, buddy. I know you are. Just…don't scare me again." Dean planted a kiss to Connor's forehead, then grimaced afterward as he found his lips covered in peanut butter. "I think we'd better take you to the bathroom and get you cleaned up, huh?'

"We fine Mommy?"

"Yeah, we'll find her real soon. I promise." Dean assured the little boy, before he started back towards the restrooms. " Dad! Sammy! I found him!"

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_A/N 2: Next chapter we'll see how Skye and Andy are doing...as well as check in with Bobby, Missouri and the hunters..._


	2. Crossing Lines

_A/N: And finally, this chapter we get to see how Skye is doing...which is not well. This was a hard chapter, due to me being worried about getting the "voices" right for everyone in it. Hopefully I was successful. Big shout out to LovinJackson as always for her help!! And to everyone who is reading and leaving me reviews. Thanks guys! You keep me writing! HUGS_

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**Medicine Bow, South Wyoming.**

If there was one thing Ava Wilson didn't handle well? It was boredom. Maybe it came from being a secretary and spending too many days with nothing to do but sit behind a desk and file her nails or answer the phone? Maybe it simply came from the fact Ava knew something big was just on the horizon and she didn't like the idea of waiting for it?

Rocking on her chair, Ava flipped over another card. Playing Solitaire was so not how she expected to be passing the time when the end of the freaking world was like, a hair's breadth away.

Looking up from her game, she could see Jake Talley reading some crappy crime novel he'd had in his duffel bag all the way from Iraq. He seemed to be happy enough to read it, but then, Ava figured it was more a case of enjoying the peace and quiet of not being in a war zone.

Lily Morrison was another story altogether. The girl was staring out a window, idly flicking ash from her cigarette on autopilot between drags. Ava knew the girl was still grieving the death of her girlfriend, but with any luck, she'd get over that soon enough. There were more important things to be worrying about than a dead girlfriend…or fiancée in Ava's case. Brady had been a sweet guy, but Azazel had offered Ava such a sweet offer. How could she say no to a guy that was offering her the world? Literally?

Glancing to her left, Ava saw Andy curled up in an armchair, asleep. The guy was a major pain in the ass as far as she was concerned. Whiny, a complete coward. If it wasn't for his nifty little ability, Ava would have told Azazel that they didn't need the guy.

"You know? I don't see why we have to sit around waiting? We have the Colt, we know where the gate is….why don't we just go and open it now?" Ava huffed out loud, slapping another card down on the table impatiently.

"Because there's a little thing called an alignment that we need to be in place first, Ava. It's one of those cosmic laws of the Universe….but hey, if you think you're good enough to rewrite age old laws that bind events such as this? By all means, go ahead…." Azazel walked into the room, the wink he threw at Ava belying the annoyance he was feeling. "Oh…wait…I have the Colt. Not you. And since I'm the one who gave you your cute little ability? I think its best if you just shut up here and now before I lose my patience any further."

"Okay, okay…I'm sorry." Ava backed down with a frown, her shoulders slumping. "So why do we even need the girl, anyway? Dean didn't kill Sam. We might as well just get rid of her."

Azazel cocked one eyebrow at the girl as he fixed her with a bemused look. "Did I die? Did someone put you in charge all of a sudden? Cause you know, Ava…I'm beginning to think that forwardness I liked so much in you, is suddenly not so appealing…"

He smiled as the girl backed down, paling at his words. She'd gone from being such a shy, nervous little thing, to a full blown killer in such a short time. It was bound to go to the girl's head, all that power.

And if the attitude continued? He'd open her up to see how her insides looked as decoration for the room.

Azazel looked over the rag tag bunch of children he had gathered, finding himself bitterly disappointed with what he'd be given. Oh they were loyal. They were certainly ready to follow his every order…well, with the exception of Andy Gallagher…but he'd get over that pesky conscience soon enough.

But for all the good points…… the group of people before him weren't Sam Winchester. They just didn't add up to that one boy that Azazel had been hoping to have at his right side now. He'd been ready to fully endorse the kid as a leader, backing him all the way in the war….but no; Sam had thrown the offer back in his face. And for what? His family? It was an insult. Those Winchesters weren't Sam's family. Oh sure…he was their's by birth, by genetics. But Azazel's blood had been flowing through Sam's veins since he was a baby. Marking him, making him special…opening him up to the destiny that had been awaiting him.

And Sam had thrown it all back in Azazel's face.

In hindsight, maybe he should have gone at it from another angle? Maybe he should have tried to corrupt the oldest boy, Dean, rather than kill him? Perhaps Sam would have followed his big brother?

It was all moot now, of course. Sam had made his choice, picked his side in the war that was in motion now. A war that was going to swing forever in favour of the demon world after tonight.

"Make sure you're ready to move when it's time. " Azazel told the group. "I'm going to talk to our guest and make sure she's ready for her task."

The moment Azazel had left the room; Jake looked up from his book, looking straight at Ava with a smirk. "You keep pissing the man off like that…and I'm gonna be running this operation soon enough."

Ava answered him with her middle finger and a sour look.

Jake shrugged and chuckled quietly. "You might have more deaths to your name. But when push comes to shove and Yellow Eyes wants a new leader? Who you think he's gonna pick? A secretary? Or someone with a military background?"

The sullen look on Ava's face was all the answer Jake needed as he went back to his book, still chuckling.

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Pacing the basement had gotten old about the same time as Skye's left knee began to ache. It was an old injury. At the tender age of eight, Skye had been walking her dog with her older sister when the German Shepard had suddenly bolted after another dog. The lead had been slipped over Skye's wrist and before she'd had time to react, the dog had pulled her over on the road, splitting her knee open to the bone.

Sixteen stitches later and Skye had been left with an ugly scar and a knee that in the last couple of years had started aching from time to time. Especially when it was overworked like now.

But Skye continued to pace, wearing a shallow trench in the dirt floor. It still beat sitting on her ass, feeling sorry for herself. That wasn't going to get her out of this. She needed to think, to try and find a weak spot, anything she could turn to her advantage.

Skye had been ready to die after Ava had lied to her. The thought of her son being dead had just torn her heart out. But Andy had risked anything to give Skye back hope. She knew now that Connor was alive and safe. He was with Dean. It gave Skye a reason to fight now. As best she could anyway.

Whatever they wanted with her? Skye wasn't going to do it.

The basement door opened above her. Skye turned towards the stairs, pausing mid step and waiting to see who it would be this time. The man that came down the stairs, beaming like the cat that got the cream wasn't familiar at all. But the moment Skye saw the sickly yellow eyes watching her from within what was otherwise a handsome and friendly face; she knew who she was dealing with.

The Yellow Eyed Son Of a Bitch was how Dean had usually described him. Skye found herself backing away, looking around for some sort of weapon, but still coming up empty.

"I really must apologise for the accommodation. It's not exactly five star. But I like to think it has that nice, homey, down to earth feel about it." Azazel smiled widely as he stepped off the bottom stair.

"The view could be better…" Skye deadpanned, folding her arms across her chest to hide the fact she was trembling. It was terrifying, being face to face with the demon that had caused Sam and Dean so much pain. "Maybe something with a balcony next time?"

"Funny. Using humour to mask how you really feel….not unlike someone else we both know."

"Shut up." Skye growled softly, watching Azazel carefully.

"Attitude too. You'll fit right in with that family…" Azazel smiled. "Which brings me to why you're here." He approached Skye and slowly circled her, revelling in the way she seemed to draw into herself, unwilling to let him even brush against her. The smell of fear was so rich, despite the display she was making.

"You used me to set Sam up." Skye said accusingly. "What other reason did you need?"

"Oh Skye…you're worth much more to me than a little misdirection. In fact, you're the key to me gaining all the power I could ever want. Because of you? I'm going to bring Hell to earth."

"You already have. Or haven't you been watching what's happening out there? The people that are dying?"

Azazel waved his hand dismissively in the air. "Collateral damage. Casualties of war…however you want to paint it. It's always the civilians that pay the highest price." His smile returned a moment later as the demon winked at Skye. "I need you to help me usher in a new age of peace. A world where demons rule mankind."

Skye snorted, watching the smile fade from Azazel's face. "Exactly how am I supposed to be doing that?"

"With this." The demon pulled out an old western style revolver and handed it to Skye. She turned the gun over in her hand, her eyes widening as she saw the inscription down the barrel, the markings carved into the handle. "This is the Colt. The Colt. The one you took from John….the gun that can kill you."

"The one and the same." Azazel nodded. "It's a little less impressive when you see up close, isn't it?"

Skye lifted the gun, struggling to pull back the hammer, taking comfort from the sharp click as the gun cocked before she aimed it at Azazel's head. "Looks pretty damn good from here."

"Oh my…" Azazel raised his hands in a mock surrender, his voice light and full of scornful laughter. "How could this have happened? How did I not see this coming?" The mirth was gone a moment later as the demon fixed Skye with his yellow eyes, a small smirk on his face. "Hear me out first…"

That gave Skye pause. How the hell could he stand there face to face with the Colt and be so damn calm?

"All I want you to do is open the Hell's Gate for me. Just walk up to the door, turn the key and bingo, the rest of your life gets to be candy canes and lolly pops. Connor can live to a ripe old age, rich and happy. You get to watch him, maybe have a few more pups to add to the family bloodline. I'll even throw in Dean for you, alive and unharmed until the day he dies of old age….and all I'm asking in return? Is one little thing. What do you say?" Azazel lifted his eyebrows in expectance of her answer.

Skye pulled the trigger, hearing it click hollowly. Nothing happening.

"I'll take that as a no?" Azazel shook his head, acting disappointed. "Did you really think I'd be stupid enough to give you the Colt loaded? Apparently you've picked up the Winchester's ability for stupidity too."

"Fuck you."

Skye was suddenly thrown back across the basement, slamming into a wall hard enough for everything to white out for a moment. She could taste blood in her mouth and realised she'd bitten the inside of her cheek on impact. Blinking away tears, Skye tried to move and found she was pinned by some unseen force. Her heart was pounding in her chest, wondering if she was about to draw her last breath at the demon's hands.

Azazel stepped up to Skye and leaned in, meeting her frightened gaze only inches from her face. "I was willing to play nice. To give you everything you wanted and you throw it back in my face?"

"I'm not helping you. Open your own gate!"

"There's a slight problem with that idea. You see, the whole area is one big Devil's Trap. But Samuel Colt was no fool. He not only made sure that no demon would enter the place…but no one with demon blood in them either. Which leads me to my little problem…and you being the key to solving it." Azazel informed her pleasantly.

"I've already told you I won't do it."

The pleasantry was gone, Azazel's smile evaporating and a hard sneer replacing it. "You're under the impression you have a choice here. Let me make this very clear. If you don't open that gate for me? You'll die. Slowly….in agony. But not before you watch me kill your son. I'll peel the skin from his bones. I'll make you eat his eyeballs. I'll bring so much pain down on his little head that you'll be screaming his name for an eternity in Hell. Am I making myself clear?"

Tears slipped down Skye's cheeks as she tried to remove that horrible image from her mind, feeling like she wanted to vomit, wishing she could die instead. "Alright…" The word was a broken whisper as she hung her head.

"What was that?"

"I'll do it….whatever you want."

Azazel's smile was back full force. "I knew you were a smart girl. Just keep that sweet little face of your son in mind, Skye. I'll be back for you soon."

Once the demon had left the room, slamming the door behind him, Skye was released, falling to her hands and knees. She curled her knees in under her and sobbed, hating herself, praying that Dean would find some way to get her out of this.

Trying to recall happier memories, Dean's face, and Connor's laugh.

Anything but the harsh reality of what she was facing.

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**Valentine, Nebraska.**

"Missouri, we're here." Bobby gave the psychic a gentle prod in the shoulder, smiling to himself as he watched her blink blearily, sitting up to take in her surroundings. The sight of gently rolling hills met Missouri as she looked through the windshield, noting the simple yet attractive looking farmhouse to her right. The gentle sound of cattle lowing to each other echoed around her.

"And just where exactly is here, Bobby Singer? You've dragged me out into the middle of damn nowhere!" Missouri fixed Bobby with a stern look that covered her anxiety.

"This is Phill McCallister's place. He's a good man. Knows his stuff and watched my back on a lot of hunts. We set up the idea of hunter's safe house here when the signs started to show that the demons were on the move. Sort of a rally point for everyone." Bobby explained as he opened the driver's door and climbed out.

"You still haven't told me where we are, Bobby. I might be a minder reader, but I sure as hell don't like going into that grease soaked head of yours unless I have to."

Bobby shot the psychic a dirty look and nodded his chin towards the house. "We're about half an hour out of Valentine."

"Nebraska?"

"No, Cuba…what do you think?"

Missouri gave Bobby a look that could freeze lava. "I'm thinking my foot's going up your ass if you use that tone with me again, Bobby."

The mechanic waved Missouri off, unable to hide the smirk on his face as he led the way to the house.

The sharp, crisp sound of a shotgun cocking cut through the air and Bobby froze in his tracks, bringing his hands up slowly. "Easy Phill…it's just me and Missouri like I told you over the phone."

A large man stepped out on the porch of the house, the shotgun held easily in his hands. Phill McCallister stood just over six foot tall with broad shoulders and a body that spoke of a life of labour on a cattle ranch. A scruffy beard framed a weather worn face that looked a little older than its 35 years, but the eyes that watched Bobby were sharp like a hawk's. "Man can't be too careful, Singer. You know that."

Bobby caught a silver hipflask as it was tossed to him. He eyed it for a moment, then lifted one eyebrow in a question mark as he looked up at Phill. "Holy water?"

"Yup. You and Missouri be kind enough to have a nice long drink of that, we can let you inside."

With a casual shrug of his shoulders, Bobby twisted off the cap and took a long swig of the water, smiling at Phill as soon as he'd swallowed it. He then handed the flask to Missouri and waited patiently while she followed suit.

"Satisfied?" Missouri asked coolly.

"Guess so." Phill drawled lazily, tipping up the shotgun and resting the barrel on his shoulder. "You've missed out on breakfast, but there's plenty of coffee in the pot. Come on in." He turned and walked back into the house, letting Bobby and Missouri follow him inside.

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"Bobby Singer…it's about time you got here." Ellen Harvelle spoke up from her seat at the kitchen table. Her daughter Jo was sat across from her, idly playing with her father's knife, much to Ellen's disapproval as the former Roadhouse greeted Bobby and Missouri.

Ever since Bobby had sent them here to hide out after the Roadhouse burnt down, Jo had been arguing with her mother. That they should be doing more, that hiding out wasn't the answer. Ellen could see so much of Bill in her daughter right now and that terrified her. John Winchester had been there when Bill died and although Ellen didn't believe the man was responsible for her husband's death? She wasn't ready to completely absolve him of it either. Winchester's were trouble. Plain and simple. Dean and Sam had used Jo as bait on the one hunt she had gone on with them. That was one hunt more than Ellen ever wanted her daughter going on

For a while, Jo had left the Roadhouse, had worked in bars, done some small time hunts on her own and with Gordon Walker. The man was like an Uncle to her, taught her the ropes, how to look after herself on a hunt, watched her back.

It was through Gordon, that Jo had begun to learn the truth about Sam Winchester, how he was going to become something evil. Some great leader for the demon world.

Coming face to face with Sam in that bar in Duluth, had really opened her eyes to what Gordon had been saying about the Winchesters being a threat. Dean was blind to the danger, that much Jo was sure of. Bobby too.

" Jo-Anna Beth, you want to go make sure that coffee's hot?" Ellen looked pointedly at her daughter, the look inferring she should put the knife away. Now.

"How you doing, Jo?" Bobby asked quietly, noting the tension between mother and daughter.

"I'm fine." Jo bit off abruptly, pushing her chair back sharply and heading to the percolator. "How is it out there?" She looked over her shoulder at Bobby, some of the fire in her replaced with worry.

"It's bad. Real bad. Lot of good people are dying out there." Bobby stated honestly. "Where's Ash?"

" Dr Bad ass is still asleep." Ellen drawled tiredly. "He was up all night trying to figure out what all these signs are leading to. Said something about a planetary alignment being due to happen tonight."

"Sam was right." Missouri shared a look with Bobby. " You should call John, let him know."

"John?" Ellen sat up and looked sharply at the pair. "John Winchester? Then Gordon was right."

" About what?" Bobby asked coolly. He didn't like the idea of Gordon Walker and the Winchester's being mentioned in the same sentence. The man was bad news.

"That he was back. Gordon said he was some sort of winged demon now, released from Hell itself. I'm surprised to see you in one piece if you've been with them, Bobby."

"Now you just hold on a minute.." Bobby growled. He'd had his doubts at first too, but the more the mechanic saw of John and the boys, the more he realised that all they were. Despite everything, they were still the family he loved and trusted like his own kin. There was no way he wanted to have them being seen as the enemy thanks to Gordon Walker. "Ellen, when did you last see Gordon?"

"Last night." The touch of cold metal to the back of his neck made Bobby freeze. He knew the feel of a gun barrel when it was that close. To his left, he could see Missouri's eyes widening in fear. All the conversation had distracted the psychic to the point where she'd been caught off guard….Bobby too. "Now just take it easy, son.."

The world exploded red, then began to slide sideways as Bobby took a heavy blow to the back of the skull that brought him to his knees before he pitched face first to the floor. As everything faded out, he heard Gordon Walker's smooth, smug voice. "You shouldn't have sided with the Winchesters, Bobby. You picked the wrong damn side of this war to be on…"

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_A/N : Don't you just hate cliffhangers? LOL Next part should be up soon! _


	3. A Moment Of Peace

_A/N: Again, thanks to LovinJackson for tireless help, reading this. And her mum, too! Love ya, Deb! HUGS Okay...on with the story..._

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**Denver, Colorado.**

"Oreos, dude...these are the best!" Dean spoke in a tone that indicated he was passing on vital information from one generation to the next. He held the cookie in one hand to his captivated audience, before he carefully demonstrated how to twist the Oreo into two. "Now the key to remember with these babies? Is that the _only_ way to fully appreciate them? Is to twist them in half and eat the filling first." Dean used his front teeth to scrape the sugary white cream filling into his mouth, and then popped one half of the cookie base into his mouth, then the other. "Mow shee? Thwat's de fway to emfoy pwhem." Tiny showers of crumbs slipped from the corner of Dean's mouth as he spoke with his mouth full.

Connor clapped a hand over his mouth and giggled loudly.

"I thought I taught you better manners than that?" John mused from his chair where he was taking the time to clean one of his shotguns.

Dean tossed an Oreo at his father, watching as John caught it without even looking up from what he was doing. A moment later, he'd opened his cookie like Dean had, winking at Connor as he ate it.

"See, Connor? Everything I ever needed to know, I learnt from my father." Dean grinned.

Connor looked at Dean, then over at John, nodded solemnly as though he was learning part of a rite of passage. The little boy took an Oreo from the pile stacked in front of Dean and opened it how he was shown, looking up with a proud smile on his face as he saw the way Dean was beaming at him in return.

"The kid's a natural." Dean informed his father proudly as he took another cookie for himself.

John glanced over as he continued cleaning his shotgun, a ghost of a smile on his lips. It was surreal, seeing his eldest boy bonding with Connor, yet it seemed so natural. Dean just had a way with children, always had done ever since he was a child himself. John knew a lot of it stemmed from Dean taking care of Sammy from the night of the fire. From always having to watch Sam's back. But there was a lot there that was just Dean. He was having a small taste of what life had always seemed to deny him. A child…a family.

But what made John smile even more, what made this moment all the more special to him, was seeing the way Connor watched Dean's every move. The little boy hung on every word that left Dean's mouth. John recalled a time when Dean was the same with him, how he was like a sponge, hungry to learn all he could from his father to be just like him.

Dean wasn't Connor's biological father, but the little boy couldn't have asked for better than what he'd been given by life's twists of fate.

"Hey…you know, I bet there's a toy truck or two around here with your name on it?" Dean scooped Connor up and slung him up on his shoulders, holding him by the ankles for safety. "Now you spot that truck? You make sure you holler out good and loud…they like hiding from little dudes. We have to go track them down…okay?"

" 'kay!" Connor shouted happily, resting his elbows on Dean's head and looking around for any trucks hiding in the shadows.

Sam emerged from one of the aisles, chuckling as he watched his brother gently bouncing Connor on his shoulders as they disappeared from view. He took a seat near his father and took an Oreo from the pile Dean had left, popping the whole cookie into his mouth and munching happily.

John shook his head and laughed, the sight of Sam frowning in puzzlement, only causing the hunter to laugh more.

"What? What's so funny?"

" Nothing, Sammy." John let his laughter ease, a smile still lighting his eyes as he watched his youngest. Sam was so very like him in so many ways, yet he was always his own person too. Something that John had found admirable and frustrating at the same time. "Where's Elise?"

"She went to see if there was anything in the women's wear section that she liked." Sam helped himself to another Oreo as his father put the shotgun away and picked up a Browning handgun instead, beginning to dismantle and clean the gun.

"How much further is she travelling with us?" John asked, looking up from his cleaning.

"I don't know. Just to Wyoming I think? Why?"

"Just curious…"

Sam caught a glimpse of a grin from his father and narrowed his eyes. "It's not like that, Dad."

"I don't know what you're talking about…" John struggled not to smile. He'd been the same way with Mary, oblivious to how much she liked him…until Mary finally made it abundantly clear. At the time, John had joked with her that he'd been too blinded by her beauty to see the signs. But the truth of the matter was, John had always wondered how a working class, ex-marine managed to capture the heart of someone as special as Mary. It was something he had always cherished.

"Shouldn't we be hitting the road?" Sam could still feel the pull from Southern Wyoming…like a siren's call. It spread through his body, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Sam knew that whatever the demons were being called for…it was happening tonight.

"Give Dean and Connor an hour. Let them forget what's coming….just for an hour." John's face was grim as he spoke, knowing that there was a good chance they might not get Skye back.

Sam thought about the smiles he'd seen on both Dean and Connor's faces. An hour wasn't too much to ask, really. Not when it came to giving Dean a taste of normal and of just having fun. " Yeah…sure." He glanced down at his hands, thinking, trying to find the right way to approach the conversation, when John spoke up again.

"What is it, Sam?"

"How?" Sam raised his eyes to meet his father's steady gaze, studying the man, searching him as if the answers were tattooed on his skin in plain view, simply because his father was alive and before him. " You…Dean…how…how did it happen? Dean was dead. You were dead…"

John had known this moment was coming since Sam had seen him at the church. He put the gun down and sat up a little straighter, because right now, Sam needed his full attention. "I contacted Skye through a dream. Got her to track down where Dean was….I couldn't have done it without her." He went on to explain to Sam what had happened at the barn, how he had given some of his essence, his demonic life-force to Dean to bring his son to life. It had been such a gamble at the time and John knew it had been a one-shot deal. By giving up part of that essence, he had condemned himself to a half-life. No longer a man and less than a demon. It had tainted Dean too, left demonic traces in his son that would never be removed and that hurt John, making his son part of what they had always fought. Part of what had taken Mary from them.

But it had meant Dean was alive and that was all that mattered. Anything else was secondary to his son breathing again, living again.

"Those dreams you've had, where you connected with your brother. It's because of the demon blood you both have in you now. It's made you stronger, Sam. Forged a stronger bond. But you're still yourself as much as Dean is himself. That blood can't dictate who you are, what you'll become. You're the only one who can do that." John said firmly. "You understand?"

" Yeah…yeah, I get it, Dad." Sam allowed a gentle smile to play over his lips. " I'm in charge of my own destiny."

" You always were, Sam.'" John nodded, glad to have this moment with his youngest. He'd lost out on so many chances to talk to Sam in the past.

"But what about what you said to Dean? About him having to kill me?" The smile was gone now, Sam's face becoming stony as he thought about the pain that had caused Dean. The fear and anger Sam had felt, the betrayal.

"Dean was the only one who could have saved you, Sammy. You know that as well as I do. When I told Dean that? I knew how he'd take it. It was a shitty thing to do, but I knew your brother had the strength to do whatever it took to save you."

"Cause you didn't?" Sam fought to keep the accusation and pain out of his voice.

"No, I didn't." John admitted quietly. There was no point in lying to Sam. Not about this. "When I found out what that Yellow Eyed Bastard planned to do, Sammy. I was terrified. You and Dean, you're all I have in this world. All that I have left of Mary. I couldn't bare the thought of that son of a bitch using you, turning you against me and Dean. Against everyone we care about. I knew if I had to kill you to save this world….I couldn't do it. I'd let it burn, Sam, rather than hurt you."

"And Dean? You thought Dean could kill me?"

"No." John shook his head. "I knew Dean would do anything to save you. He'd go beyond and above what he knew, what he could manage….because he couldn't lose you. I was tired, Sam. My back was against the wall, faced with losing your brother. If I lost Dean, I'd have lost you both and you know it. There would have been nothing to stop the Demon from taking you away from me….because you would have never listened to me. Would you?" He looked expectantly at his son.

Sam held his father's gaze for a heartbeat, and then nodded, allowing his smile to return a little as it sunk in what his father was saying. They had always locked horns, Sam rebelling against his father for most of his teen years until he left for college. Dean was the glue that held them together back then and Sam knew if his brother had died that day in the hospital….he would have turned his back on his father, probably gone after the Demon alone. He would have played right into the Demon's hands. "No… no, I wouldn't have. Dad…. I didn't mean…I wasn't trying to say you didn't…" He struggled to get the words out, his throat closing up.

"Its okay, Sam. I know you weren't. I'm your father, no matter what you've done. I love you. It's as simple as that. Always was, always will be." John let a warm smile curl the corner of his mouth.

"I love you too, Dad." Sam said quietly, his voice thick with emotion before he chuckled quietly, feeling awkward at the show of emotion and stood up, wiping his palms on his jeans. "I'd better go and make sure Elise is okay."

"Sure, I should really make sure we have everything we need before we hit the road anyway."

Sam nodded and slipped away towards the woman's clothing section with a smile on his face. A huge weight was lifted from his shoulders and Sam was never more grateful that he'd had that moment with his father.

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Dean felt like a kid. Literally. A big, giant kid with his knees somewhere up around his ears as he tried to peddle the trike he was on. And the craziest part about it all? Was that he was losing.

Connor was almost at the end of the aisle, giggling loudly as he raced ahead of Dean. The kid had a size advantage, that was for sure and Dean was beginning to wonder if he'd picked a faulty trike, because it couldn't be normal to have his ass kicked so easily by a little kid….right?

At the end of the aisle, Connor paused and looked back at Dean with a smile that was blinding with its open happiness. He giggled again and pushed himself around the corner, Dean still able to hear the little boy even when he was out of sight.

The earlier events of that morning came rushing back to Dean and he found himself trying to peddle faster as the fear began to prickle up his spine again. He rounded the corner…and was assaulted by a stuffed dinosaur to the head that knocked Dean off the bike in a tangle of limbs and wheels.

Connor laughed and clapped a hand over his face for a moment, before he edged forward with a tiny frown. "Dee 'kay?"

His answer was to be tackled and tickled mercilessly, the pair of them giggling and laughing until they were out of breath, lying on their backs, staring at the ceiling. Dean had an arm around Connor still and the little boy crawled up and snuggled into an easy embrace, his head on Dean's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Dean remained still until Connor sat up and looked at him. "What is it, little dude?"

Connor didn't say anything at first. He simply leaned down and hugged Dean tightly again, little fists bunched up in the material of Dean's shirt. "Love you."

It was like a punch to the solar plexus, but in a good way. Dean hugged the little boy to him, smiling and feeling his throat closing up before he shook it off, fighting to regain control. "Me too, Connor." The words came out thick with emotion, but that was okay….there was no around to hear him. No one saw the walls crumble.

After a moment to compose himself, Dean got to his feet and held out a hand to Connor. "What do you say we go find some remote control cars? I'll show you how to make them do tricks…"

Connor grabbed hold of Dean's hand, wrapping his little fist around one finger. "Cars!" The grin on his face said it all and Dean was grinning himself in return. "Maybe we'll even find an Impala, huh?"

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"Elise?" Sam turned in a half circle, trying to see if he could spot her. There were racks of clothing everywhere and although Sam towered over Elise, he was pretty sure the racks didn't have the same height advantage.

Moving past a circular rack of ladies jeans, Sam suddenly found himself staring at Elise's bare back. She turned, holding a top to her chest and jumping in surprise. "Jesus, mate! You're going to give me a bloody heart attack if you keep doing that. What do I have to do? Tie a bell to you?"

"I…uh….that is…" Sam stammered. "I'm so sorry…I didn't…I mean…"

"Geez, Sam, what colour's red?" Elise giggled, before she called out. "Security! We've got a bloke here perving on the ladies! Security!"

Sam was turning redder by the minute and Elise couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Relax, Sam…I'm just having a lend of you."

"Huh?"

Elise laughed again, shaking her head. "I'm going to have to teach you to speak Strine, aren't I? Could prove interesting. Now turn around, will you? I'm still getting dressed here."

"Oh….right, sorry." Sam spun on his heels and turned his back. But as he heard the sound of clothing rustling and racks being searched, he found himself trying to peek over his shoulder. Sam caught a glimpse of a tattoo on the back of Elise's neck, just between her shoulder blades…and another lower down. Heat prickled up through his face and he snapped his eyes to the front again.

"Sam?" Elise had been watching him, a mischievous grin appearing on her face. It was beyond cute, seeing him so embarrassed and it made one hell of a change from most of the guys Elise had known who would have been hanging around, drooling like Pavlov's dog at the dinner bell.

"Yeah?" Sam kept his gaze firmly ahead of him.

"Can you pass me the pair of jeans just behind you on the left? Size 10?"

Sam swallowed. Was she serious? How was he supposed to hand her a pair of jeans without looking? "Seriously?"

"Yeah, just behind you on the left." Elise was fighting the urge to giggle. "Please?"

"Uh…sure." Sam tried to turn without looking behind him, his hand flailing out to find the jeans as he strained to look at the right size.

"Yup…yup…that's them, right there! Just hand them back here."

Fighting the urge to look, Sam held the jeans out behind him, feeling Elise take them a moment later and then hearing the soft sound of the zipper being opened and the jeans sliding on. His mind was running wild with all sorts of images and thoughts, making Sam flush an even deeper shade of red. This was wrong. He wasn't interested….at all. No way. Women and Sam just didn't mix.

Elise slipped a shirt on and walked up quietly behind Sam, placing a hand on the small of his back. "Hey…thanks for your help, mate." Her touch made Sam jump and once again Elise tried not to laugh. "You okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine." But there was a crack in Sam's voice that said otherwise and it had Elise giggling. She clapped a hand to his shoulder and gave him a consoling pat before she walked away from the guy. "Sure you are…"

Sam frowned slightly, a bemused smile on his face. "Wait a minute….did you just play me?"

"Me? Nah, mate….I'm not that sort of girl." Elise feigned complete innocence. "Come on, we'd better go and get you some clothes while we have a chance."

Sam followed Elise, far from convinced and finding himself grinning like a fool. Okay…so Elise was cute and funny and kept him on his toes. It still meant nothing. He wasn't interested at all….no way. Sam just had to keep reminding himself of that.

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An hour later, John had organised food for the trip, spare clothing for himself and even a few changes for Dean, saving his son from having to interrupt the time he was spending with Connor.

There were even a few changes of clothes for Connor too. John had no idea if Skye would like what was chosen, but it was practical and hard wearing. After all, he'd dressed his sons for years as a single father; it wasn't something new to him.

By the time Sam, Dean, Elise and Connor all returned, smiling and joking, John was ready to hit the road. They had a three hour drive ahead of them and who knew what was going to happen after that?

"Poppy, look! Car!" Connor rushed over to John and proudly showed off the Mustang that Dean had found for him.

Sam quirked an eyebrow at his father. "Poppy?"

"What?" John demanded a little defensively as he picked Connor up. "Something you want to say there, Sam?"

"No…no. Nothing at all." Sam fought to keep a straight face and he lost the battle the moment he saw the grin appear on his father's face. "Poppy, huh? Nice. Much better than Grandpa."

"Shut up, Sam and start carrying the duffel bags to the car." John said with a chuckle as he held Connor. "You too, Dean."

"Yes sir." Dean grinned, the two brothers laughing as they walked away with the bags.

John rolled his eyes and looked at Connor. "You're not going to give me grief when you get older are you, kiddo?"

"Nup." Connor shook his head firmly.

"Good. Cause otherwise you'd have to suffer…..this!" John grabbed Connor by the ankles and flipped him over, tickling the little boy and making him laugh. Turning him the right way up again, John held Connor in his arms and nodded to Elise. "Let's hit the road…"

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_Next Chapter coming soon..._


	4. Darkness Ascending

**Valentine, Nebraska.**

The world came back to Bobby with sound but no pictures at first. His head was pounding, feeling like something was cracked at the back. His shoulder was aching where Missouri had patched up the through and through bullet wound from a day or so earlier. It was coming back to Bobby in snatches. The trip to Lawrence, finding Dean and John alive, losing Skye, finding Sam. So much had happened and just the act of trying to piece it all together was giving the aging mechanic a headache of epic proportions.

There were hushed voices in the room, Missouri and Phill by the sounds of it. Where the hell was that back stabbing son of a bitch, Walker?

Bobby asked the question, at least, in his mind he was sure he had asked where Gordon was; but it came out a dry, scratchy croak, barely coherent. Just how hard had he been hit?

"Easy, Bobby. Just take it nice and slow…" Missouri's voice was soft spoken and full of concern.

Some cold and wet was pressed to his head, the sharp change in temperature making Bobby realise how very hot his skin felt. "How long I been out?" His eyes flickered open to show Missouri sitting beside him. Apparently they'd moved him to one of the bedrooms after what had happened.

"Not too long, but long enough to have me worried. How many fingers am I holding up?"

Bobby stared at the hand held before his eyes, then batted it away, irritation written across his face. "Don't matter how many you hold up when I'm already seeing double of you anyway, Missouri."

"You've got a concussion, Bobby."

"You think?" He snapped, groaning a moment later and pressing a hand to his forehead as if that would help kill the monumental headache that was thundering around his skull like a bull in a china shop.

"You've also got a fever so don't you be giving me any of the attitude. How could have kept something like that from me? You got rocks in your head, boy?" Missouri scowled.

"Don't boy me, Missouri, I'm too old to be a boy."

"Oh really? Cause from where I'm sitting your acting pretty damn immature."

That drew a snort from Bobby, before he groaned again, then narrowed his blurry eyes at Phill who was sat in the corner of the room. "What the hell are you doing in here, Phill? Looking for another chance to sink the knife in?"

" It's not like that, Bobby. I'm just looking out for your best interests. Those Winchesters have got your head all turned round. You're not thinking right." Phill drawled casually, slumped in an easy chair, shotgun resting across his lap.

" Got my head all--…? Phill, you simple son of a bitch. You've been listening to Gordon Walker, haven't you?"

"Gordon knows his stuff, Bobby. The man's been watching the signs, he's interrogated a demon or two and they all say the same thing. Sam Winchester is bad news. The kid is the Anti-Christ."

Bobby burst out laughing, making Missouri jump and clasp a hand to her chest before she smacked him on the arm. "Bobby Singer, don't you go giving me grey hairs!"

Bobby ignored Missouri, still looking over at the swimming, double image of Phill. A man he had trusted. Somehow, Bobby figured that the man hadn't turned, not like Gordon. It was just a matter of not knowing the truth, of not knowing the Winchesters like Bobby did. " That boy ain't the Anti-Christ, Phill. Walker's a goddamn lunatic. He got burnt the last time he crossed paths with those boys and he's letting some damn twisted sense of revenge drive him. And if you had the sense of a groundhog, you'd see that he's dangerous."

Phill shifted uneasily in his chair, mulling over what Bobby was saying. "You haven't been hearing the word on the grapevine, about what that boy's been doing, Bobby."

"What?" Bobby demanded, sitting up and shrugging off Missouri's efforts to make him lie still. The room spun dizzily and Bobby had to take a moment to fight off the nausea that gripped him, his head pounding even more, but he stayed upright. " What did that boy do besides look for his damn brother and take down some of those demonic sons of bitches in the process?"

The more Bobby argued with Phill, the more he could see how wrong he'd been in the first place to doubt Sam. The kid wasn't some big evil in this world. He was John's son, Dean's little brother…the same lanky, mop haired kid that had sat cross legged in his living room what seemed like a lifetime ago now, reading through tome after tome while Dean worked on cars with his father. The same kid that had learnt how to handle a firearm in the field behind Bobby's salvage yard under his father's firm tuition.

Sam wasn't a monster. Gordon Walker….now there was a monster.

"Don't you dare."

Bobby turned towards the doorway, his vision still swimming and he felt Missouri reach out to steady him with one hand as he swayed. Ellen was in the doorway, her arms folded, her face dark with anger and disgust. "Don't you dare go defending that boy. He's the same as his father. They're dangerous, reckless. All those Winchesters are the same."

"Oh Jesus…." Bobby muttered, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle here.

"You shut your mouth, Bobby Singer. How many times you been in my bar? Ate with my family, hunted with Bill for God's sake…and now your sitting there defending the man who killed my husband? The boys that endangered Jo? Hurt her?" Ellen demanded.

"Bill wasn't John's fault, Ellen and you know it. Cut the bullshit for once in your damn life!" The fighting was making Bobby tired and he felt Missouri give his arm a gentle squeeze. "Your husband was a good man. But he wasn't a saint! The hunt went bad…it happens. John was damn well lucky to have gotten out of there alive himself. He's carried that guilt ever since, so just let it go, already. And you can stop pinning any blame on those boys for how Jo is. That girl would have found trouble without them to point her in it's direction."

" You son of a bitch…" Ellen growled, stepping forward.

Bobby lifted his chin, despite the pain it cost him. "Go on… do it. Hit me if it'll make you feel better, Ellen."

He watched as Ellen stood there bristling for a moment, before she turned on her heel and stormed out. Phill got up from his easy chair, sniggering softly. " Jesus, Bobby, you must have a fever alright, standing up to her like that."

"She had it coming…" Bobby muttered softly. " I didn't say nothing that ain't true."

" Maybe… get some rest. I'll go and see if I have anything for that fever of yours….."

Bobby sagged back on the bed and closed his eyes, feeling Missouri wiping his brow again with a cold cloth. "You know John's going to be saying I told you so if we get out of here, don't you?"

" Uh huh… he'll be downright impossible to live with, that's for sure." Missouri agreed with a soft sigh. She frowned a little, her concern for Bobby growing. The man was too feverish and tired after what had happened to realise yet that he was cuffed to the bed by his ankle.

Gordon wasn't taking any chances with what he saw as the enemy and Missouri could only hope they would be able to get out of there in one piece in time to warn John and the boys of what was coming after them.

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**Medicine Bow, Southern Wyoming.**

The car ride had been disconcerting as it was. Skye had been sat between Jake and Ava, knowing that Lily was nearby every time Ave mentioned how easily the girl could kill Skye just by touching her. If they wanted her on edge? They were definitely successful. Skye's heart had been dancing a wild rumba in her chest ever since they'd dragged her out of the basement and thrown her in the car. The fact she was wearing a blindfold? Just heightened the fear already pulsing through her.

It was all one big horrible nightmare that Skye just wanted to wake up from. Her arm was bruised from the number of times she had pinched herself in the past few hours, wanting to wake up and just see Connor asleep in his cot. Wishing she could just wake up to Dean lying beside her, his arms around her. The memory of his hands and lips on her skin back in that motel was all Skye had to cling to now. That and the knowledge that he was looking for her.

Dean would never get here in time. A part of Skye knew that. A part of her wept inside for what she was losing. Her son, a chance to have had a real family. It was out of reach now. Just a dream.

Skye didn't want to think it was being fatalistic…but practical. She couldn't keep holding to the hope of a knight in glistening black Impala armour, riding to her rescue. Skye had to face up to the fact she was alone in this. If she was going down? It was with a fight…if she was going to do anything? She was doing it alone.

It was nothing new, really. Her family had turned their back on her after Jason. Then she'd been forced to deal with life alone….until Dean.

No. Skye shook that thought from her mind. She had to face this alone. Dean had Connor. That was the important thing. Her son, her baby boy, the reason she had to draw breath each morning, was alive and safe. Anything that happened now, didn't matter as long as that stayed true.

The car came to a halt and Skye felt a pair of hands grab her hand before she was roughly dragged from the car. The blindfold was jerked off her eyes and she blinked in the half light, realising that the sun was setting. Before her lay an old western style cemetery. Wooden crosses and simple carved tombstones dotted the landscape along with a old tree. An old wrought iron fence surrounded the place.

"Gee…you guys take me to the nicest places." Skye said shakily, trying to sound a lot braver than she felt.

"It's not exactly Lover's Lane…but it has a nice ambience with the lighting, don't you think?"

Skye jumped as the sensation of cats climbing up her spine hit her the moment she heard the Yellow Eyed Demon's voice in her ear. She knew that Azazel hadn't been there a moment before. His ability to just pop up without warning had to be the creepiest thing she'd experienced. How the hell did you fight a guy who just blipped around like a demonic Captain Kirk, beaming in anytime he damn well wanted??

"Hey…personal space. Ever heard of it?" Skye snapped, stepping away and turning to face Azazel. She could see Jake leaning casually against the hood of the car with Lily. Ava was hovering near Azazel, always eager to be in on the action, eager to please. She was like one of the horrible little apple polishers in school who'd do anything to keep the teacher happy and get the good grades, even if that meant selling out her fellow students.

Andy was standing near the back of the car, his hands thrust into his pockets, looking as though he'd sooner be anywhere but where he was.

"Still trying to convince me of how tough you are?" Azazel smiled. He stepped towards Skye and slid an arm around her shoulders as though he was an old friend, steering her towards the cemetery. "This is the big finale, kiddo. Your moment to shine."

Skye pushed his arm off and turned sharply to face him as she backed off a few steps. "What are you talking about? Here? This is where your stupid gate is?"

"She can be taught…" Azazel said condescendingly. "See that doorway in there?" He pointed towards the one long structure inside the cemetery. "That's the Hell's Gate. All I need you to do is take the Colt, walk in there with it and slot the Colt into the door. That's it. It takes care of the rest by itself."

"Great…fine…knock yourself out."

"I can't enter the cemetery. No one with demon blood in them can. Not even that family your so pathetically loyal to, could walk in there. They're all tainted." Azazel growled. "That's why I need you. Now we've already had this conversation and my patience is wearing thing." He took the Colt out and handed it to Skye. "Get moving. I want my Hell's Gate open."

"And if I say no?"

Azazel paused at that and looked at Skye as though she was particularly stupid. "You really want to know what I can do to your son? To everyone you love?"

"If I open the gate…they're dead anyway. I'm not going to help you do it. I'm not handing you this world on a fucking silver platter. You want to kill me? Go ahead…" Skye lifted her chin defiantly, her heart beating wildly. She could only hope Connor would forgive her for leaving him.

Azazel's eyes blazed angrily. Who the hell did this girl think she was? He'd peel her open and make her bleed out over a millennium. She'd know pain so intimately, it would be like a second skin. As if all she had ever been created for, was screaming….

Skye was suddenly thrown through the air and pinned to the cemetery gates. Her head slammed into the bars, splitting the scalp, blood running down past her right eye and making her vision burn. A cry escaped her lips as tears slid down her cheeks, waiting for the end.

"Wait. Wait a minute…. don't kill her."

Azazel turned and saw Andy slowly approaching, every step cautious and hesitant. "Decided to step up and join the team at last, huh, Andy?"

"Well you know what they say? Can't beat 'em and all that…." Andy laughed nervously. He slipped past Azazel and walked up to Skye, seeing the fear in her face, the betrayal.

" Andy…please…no. Don't. Don't listen to him. Please…you're not like them. You're not." Skye begged, her voice cracking as tears spilled down her cheeks. " Please…."

_Shhhh. Hey….hey. I need you to trust me right now, Skye. Please. I can save you. I can get you out of this. But you have to trust me. This is the only way I can save you…._ Andy's voice whispered in Skye's mind. He looked over his shoulder at Azazel and was rewarded by Skye being released from the gate. She dropped heavily to her knees, looking up at Andy. " No….don't."

"**Skye…I need you to open the gate…**" The words carried such power behind them that Skye immediately got to her feet, tears still slipping quietly down her face as she obeyed without question, walking in through the cemetery gates and heading for the doorway with the Colt in her hand.

Andy felt tears pricking his own eyes. He was dirt. He was scum. How could he be anything else? Forcing the girl to obey him and open that gate against her will? But all Andy wanted to do was try and save Skye. If she did what Azazel wanted…he might let her go. Andy could argue her case, get him to spare her once the gate was open. He knew Skye wouldn't understand….but as long as she was alive, there was a chance for her still. He could still try and get her back to her son.

Skye felt like she was trapped in a waking nightmare. She couldn't stop herself, couldn't control herself. All she could do was watch, helpless as she marched towards the gate, towards unleashing Hell on the world. This couldn't be happening…. Could it? Skye wanted to wake up…why couldn't she wake up? It wasn't fair! She was going to unleash Hell, she was going to be the reason Connor died, Dean died…everyone she loved. Because she couldn't stop herself….

It wasn't fair…….

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_A/N: I know this was a shorter chapter than the others, but the scene is now set for the Hell's Gate fight...so brace yourselves guys...cause it gets rough. Muahahhahaha! ;)_


	5. The End Of All Things

_A/N : Tissue Alert for this chapter!! Just in case you need to know. Don't say I didn't warn you... LOL And extra big shout out to Deb for her help with this one...it wouldn't be half as good without her positive feedback! ;)_

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**Medicine Bow, Southern Wyoming.**

It was time. As simple as that. There was no huge fanfare, no sparkling cosmic light show to guide the way or indicate that anything was happening.

Certainly nothing to indicate that the end of the world was happening.

The Impala gleamed in the fading light as Dean, Sam and John prepared themselves for war. They'd driven solidly for the last three hours. Following Sam's directions, answering the siren call, the inbuilt homing beacon he had within him thanks to the Yellow Eyed Demon. It had been a trip that was short on conversation, but full of loud, thumping rock music. Dean had insisted it be that way, needing to concentrate on the road, on the fight ahead. He wanted to psyche himself up and just not think, because that led to him thinking of Skye and what could happen.

No. Just….no.

Dean didn't want to think. He wanted to do. He wanted to get there, kick some demon ass and save the freaking day as always. End of story. There was nothing to think about.

"You got everything you need?" John asked, tucking his own gun into the back of his jeans.

Dean held up his favourite handgun and a flask of holy water. "I'd feel happier with a small nuclear weapon…but I'm good to go. Sam?"

"I'm set." Sam nodded, showing his own gun before he tucked it away. He understood the fact that Dean was nervous about this fight, even if he was doing his all, not to show it. They all were. Three against an unknown demon force with Skye potentially caught in the crossfire. The odds weren't on their side that was for sure.

Elise was standing near the front of the Impala and Sam took another hand gun - a small .38 calibre revolver that Dean had picked up somewhere a long time ago - and walked over to her with it. Elise had opted to stay with the Impala and keep Connor safe. Fighting demons was definitely not something she was ready for.

"Here, keep this on you. Anyone but us comes towards you? You point and shoot, okay?" Sam waited until he saw Elise nod. He hated leaving her alone like this. But they were safer here than any closer. The cemetery was just over the rise….barely a five minute walk. If the Hell's Gate opened…the only thing between Elise and Connor and thousands of demons….was the salt ring Dean had put around the Impala to protect them.

They just had to hope it would be enough.

"Let's go." John said grimly, looking towards the cemetery. What was he leading his boys into? Could he keep them safe? There were no guarantees…but then, there never had been.

Elise slid her arms around Sam's waist, her head pressed to his chest. It was a very intimate hug, but after all he had done for her, she wanted him to know she appreciated it. The fact he returned the embrace, albeit a little awkwardly, made Elise smile. "You watch yourself out there…okay?" She stepped back and gave him shaky smile before looking over at Dean and John. "All of you."

Dean nodded to Elise, and then walked around to the driver side of the Impala where Connor was playing with the steering wheel, making quiet car noises. The little boy had been solemnly quiet since they had arrived, as if he understood the depth of what was about to happen. He looked up at Dean, his blue eyes wide and searching. "Dee go now?"

Dean ran his hand over the little boy's blonde hair and smiled. "Only for a little while, okay? I'm going to bring your mom back. You stay her with Elise and keep the car safe for me. You can pick the music, okay? 'Cause that's what the driver does. House rules."

"House roos!" Connor crowed happily bouncing on the seat, his hands still locked on the wheel. Dean stood there for a moment, just watching him, before he heard his father's voice.

"Dean, you coming?"

"Yeah, Dad." Dean gave his car a quick tap on the roof and silently begged her to watch over Connor for him as he followed his father and brother up over the rise towards the cemetery.

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Skye was standing before a large set of metal doors that were built into the only building in the cemetery. It looked like any stone tomb or mausoleum you would find in cemetery, but the heavy iron doors were unlike anything Skye had ever seen before. An intricate pentacle made from bronze, sat in the middle of them, the key to the Hell's Gate, itself.

It didn't matter how much she raged, how much she tried to stop herself, Skye still watched helplessly as she lifted the Colt and moved to slot it into the door.

"Skye! Skye, no!"

Dean? Skye wanted to turn her head, wanted to see if the voice she heard was true, her heart soaring at the sound of it, at the thought of him being there. But she was locked into her command, unable to change direction, turn her head….anything. She hated herself for being nothing more that a puppet.

"Dean! Dean, wait!" John yelled, seeing his eldest break into a run, pouring on the speed as he approached the cemetery, legs pumping as he kept his eyes fixed on Skye. "Dean!"

It was too late. As Dean reached the cemetery limits, the protective barrier that had been set up around the area kicked in and the hunter was thrown back with a flash of bright light. For Dean, he felt as though he had run straight into a brick wall, the air punching out of his lungs, his head snapping back violently a moment before he was tossed backwards through the air and hit the ground hard, a dozen or so yards from the cemetery. He lay on his back, gasping like a fish out of water, trying to comprehend what had happened.

John and Sam reached him quickly, pulling Dean into a sitting position. "Dean? You with us?"

Dean blinked for a moment, his tongue exploring the inside of his mouth before he spat out blood and groaned. "I think so…what the hell was that?"

"The whole area is protected." John replied, feeling the hum in his bones. He knew Sam was feeling the same. "We can't get in there."

"The hell I can't!" Dean growled, struggling to his feet with Sam's help before he shrugged his brother off. "I'm not standing around like some freaking spectator! What the hell is Skye doing?"

"Dean." Sam spoke softly but with tone that instantly caught his brother's attention. "It's not Skye…it's Andy. I can feel it."

"You can feel it?" Dean glared, his tone sceptical but with an undercurrent of fear. What the hell was his brother turning into? "What, you're tuned into them all now? One giant Borg mind?"

The sour look he received was more like Sam. "I can't explain it, Dean. Okay? You're just going to have to trust me on this one. You can do that…can't you?"

"Of course I trust you!" Dean snapped indignantly. "I've always trusted you, Sam."

Sam let it drop, knowing that Dean's fear wasn't anything personal. Hell, after all they had been through, after all Dean had seen. He wasn't at all surprised to have his brother a little scared of what he could do….Sam was scared himself at times. "All I'm saying…is that Skye's not in control. That Gate is opening…we have to move."

"Exactly my thoughts. If you two are done?" John growled. He stalked towards the wrought iron fence that surrounded the place, pausing just outside. "When that Gate opens, watch your back and watch out for each other."

Dean moved to stand beside his father, his gaze locked on Skye, his entire body coiled for the moment the protections were down.

Skye inserted the Colt into the lock, turning it once until it clicked before she stepped back, tears streaking her face as she watched the lock begin to rotate, a rumbling building from the door before her and the ground beneath her feet. In that instant, the hold Andy had imposed on her was gone and Skye was able to back away.

"Skye! Get down! Get behind something!" Dean yelled, his heart pounding as he saw her turn in his direction, their eyes meeting for a moment. "Move, Skye!"

The rumbling was growing by the moment as Skye snapped out of the fear that had her riveted to the spot, watching the doors rattling. Turning away, she ran for the nearest gravestone and crouched down behind it, trembling, wishing she had some sort of weapon. There was no way of knowing what she was about to release and right now, she was still at Ground Zero.

The doors exploded open on their hinges, the Colt sent flying from the lock as an almighty cloud of demons poured from the gate in ever increasing numbers. They would fill the world, make the humans kneel before them, claiming it as their own.

" We need to close those gates…" John was on the move the instant the protections crumbled under the assault of Hell itself. He charged in with Sam and Dean on either side, seeing Azazel casually walking in from the opposite end, smiling like the damn cat that got the cream as demons streamed out of the cemetery around him.

Dean broke off from his father and Sam, heading for the far corner of the cemetery where he had seen the Colt land. They would need that gun if he wanted to take down that demonic son of a bitch for good. Dean found it lying in the long, yellowed grass. Near the grave of a preacher. He couldn't help but find that amusing and wondered if Pastor Jim was watching their backs still in the afterlife?

Dean checked the gun was loaded, even though he knew it had be. Without that last bullet, the gun was ordinary, just another revolver made by Samuel Colt. It needed that last round in the chamber to be the key, to be special. The Yellow Eyed Demon had given Dean the means of killing him.

With the Colt in hand, Dean turned back to where the fight was about to start in earnest. He could see Sam already circling with a young black man in army fatigues, his father struggling to close one of the doors on his own.

"Well, well, well…how did it feel to dance like a puppet on a string? You should have seen your face! Oh I wish I had a camera…it was priceless. A real Kodak moment." Ava sniggered as she casually sashayed up to where Skye was still crouched.

"I was wondering if you were going to stop hiding behind your boss' coat tails. Like a snivelling little bully, hiding behind big brother, hoping he'll do all your fighting for you." Skye said darkly, getting to her feet, her hands clenching into fists. "I've been looking forward to this…"

"Oh come on…Andy's not the only that has control issues, you know. I've got my own little puppets…" Ava placed her forefingers to her temples with a cold smile as she summoned a demon to her bidding.

Skye stepped back, realising she was unarmed against the smoke like form that was beginning to take on the form of a cowboy, probably some gunslinger that had been buried there. This wasn't exactly how it was meant to go….

A figure rushed in, blocking the demon's path to Skye and drawing a scream from the demon as a heavy iron bar, torn from the fence line, slashed through it's midsection, dispersing it momentarily. Skye blinked, her mind taking a moment to catch up and realise that it was Dean standing between her and where the demon had been. He looked over one shoulder, concern burnt into his features. "You alright?"

" Never better." Skye nodded with a relieved smile before she screamed, "Dean! Look out!"

The demon had reformed, grabbing Dean and throwing him backwards into a gravestone, shattering it. The iron bar dropped from his hand as he lay momentarily dazed. Skye made a dive for the bar and snatched it up, then with a cry of anger, she ran not for the demon….but for Ava.

The former secretary barely had time to throw an arm up in defence before Skye brought the iron bar down. A loud crack sounded as Ava's forearm broke and the girl was driven to her knees. She looked up as Skye raised the bar again. "You told me my son was dead, you bitch. "

With a swing that would make a major league batter proud, Skye swung the bar, connecting it with Ava's head and watching as blood sprayed.

The demon Ava had been controlling instantly fled, returning to the ranks that were escaping Hell.

Ava toppled to the ground bonelessly, but Skye wasn't done. Not yet. She hit Ava again and again…for lying to her, for making her son cry, for setting up Sam and hurting Dean.

A hand caught the bar behind her as Skye went to swing it again, shaking and crying.

" Hey…Skye, stop! She's dead…she's dead…let it go."

Skye twisted to see Dean there, stopping her and released her grip on the bar, allowing him to pull her into a tight embrace, listening to the sound of his voice as he spoke softly to her, just holding onto him and knowing he was there.

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"It doesn't have to be like this. Just walk away. You can go back to who you were. You don't have to let the Yellow Eyed Demon win." Sam spoke calmly as he circled his opponent, his gun aimed at the man. He didn't know this guy's story or even his name, but he didn't want to think it was a lost cause. If he could just get through to him.

" What? You'd be happy to walk away from everything you ever wanted and just go back to be Joe Normal again?" Jake demanded. " Boy, was Azazel ever stupid to pick you as his front runner. You've got no spine, no back bone. You sound like summer camp counsellor, spewing all that crap, man. I'm not interested. I'm on the winning side already." He cocked his head to the side, as if listening to a voice only he could hear. "Don't you feel it, Sam? The pull? All that Power? Don't you want it? Man, how can you just turn your back on what you are? What you're meant to become?"

Sam could feel it alright. It was coiling through his veins like a thousand tiny adders, whispering in his mind with the sound of a million voices all begging for him to lead, proclaiming him their saviour. Their Master.

It was intoxicating. Giving Sam a heady rush as if he'd drank too much. The pull was so strong, every cell in his body humming to the call, to the want, the need. He wanted to spill blood, wanted to make people beg at his feet while he laughed. For a moment, Sam could see it. He saw himself standing before a huge crowd, listening to them scream his name, begging for mercy that he would never give. Feared, loathed and adored by millions.

"Listen to it, Sam…you really want to turn your back on that?" Jake said quietly from behind him.

Sam had lowered his guard, so intent on the pull he could feel, that Jake had gotten in close to him, close enough that as Sam spun to face the man, he felt a sharp, white hot pain in his stomach. Looking down, it took Sam a moment to connect what he was seeing with the pain he was feeling.

There was a knife in his stomach, Jake's hand still holding the hilt as he twisted it. Sam grunted as the pain sharply blazed through his body like an electric current, setting everything on fire and forcing him to his knees.

Jake tore the blade from Sam's stomach and stepped back. "Nothing personal, Sam…I'm just trying to climb the chain of command…"

There was so much blood, pooling in Sam's hands as he held his stomach, trying to draw breath.

"SAM!"

Jake's head snapped up as he heard the deep agonised bellow and saw John Winchester abandoning the door he had been trying to close, moving to help his son instead.

This wasn't happening. No. John was not going to lose Sam. The wound Jake had inflicted was deep, fatal if it wasn't seen to. That much John could see as he ran for the man that had attacked his son. His gun wasn't even an afterthought now. John was going to tear Jake limb from limb with his bare hands.

There was the sound of material ripping as a set of huge, inky black wings manifested from John's back, shredding the back of his shirt, unfurling with a the sound of thunder rolling down a mountain.

Jake felt his mouth run dry, backing away from Sam and brandishing the knife before him futilely as he watched John striding towards him like an oncoming storm.

Sam tried to lift his gun, finding his arm trembling, his strength failing. He wanted to put a bullet through Jake, take the back of this skull off with one round… if he could only raise his gun high enough. His other hand was still pressed to his stomach, feeling the blood pumping through his shirt, through his fingers. "Dad…." His voice was shaky, framed with fear.

"I got this, son. It's gonna be okay." John promised Sam as he reached his son and kept advancing on Jake, watching the fear in the man's eyes, the shake of his hand as he held the knife. " You think that pigsticker's going stop me, boy? You think your training is going to save you?"

Jake's gaze flickered to the knife, then back to John. The man was like something out of a nightmare. His eyes promised retribution, his wings snapping the air around him like snakes ready to strike.

"I was humping packs in Nam before you were an itch in your father's underwear. You're way out of your league….." John promised Jake, still hearing the sound of Sam's voice, the little boy tone to it, wanting his father to help him, to fix this. It was reassuring to John, that no matter how much he had fought with Sam, how many mistakes he had made in the past….Sam looked to his father still when things were bad.

John wasn't about to let that faith be misplaced. He took three steps and then launched himself at Jake, tackling the man around the waist and lifting him off the ground, driving them both back across the cemetery as John's wings carried them easily.

Lifting the knife, Jake brought it down into John's right shoulder blade, stabbing blindly again and again at the only part of John he could get any real access to.

The pain was immediate and intense, causing John to change course, his right shoulder dropping as he began to lose altitude. He tucked his head down and let his wings beat faster, propelling them towards his target, pushing through the pain in a single minded effort to take down the man who had stabbed his baby boy.

Jake twisted in John's grip, looking over his shoulder and seeing the wrought iron fence rushing towards him at an incredible rate. He barely had time to plunge the knife into John one last time, before John pushed him away and towards the fence. The pair were still too locked together by the blade in Jake's hand for John to get away clean and as the pair collided with the fence, the winged hunter felt the burning blow torch pain of an iron bar piercing through the fleshy part of his arm, another through his left wing, pinning him to the remains of the fence. John looked at his wounds, feeling warm blood sliding down his back, the knife still driven in to the hilt in his shoulder. A coughing laugh shook him as he found himself thinking of how he had to look, pinned like a freaking butterfly in some scientist's bug collection.

Hanging, shuddering nearby, Jake hadn't fared so well. He had a metal bar through his throat, another through his chest, piercing his right lung. The man twitched and kicked for a moment longer, then finally stilled, the air hissing out of him quietly.

"Dad!" Sam was stumbling towards them, still clutching his stomach, relief clear on his face as his father fixed him with a shaky smile, then nodded to where his arm was pinned. "Sam, help me get me the fuck off this fence, will you?"

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"Come on, Connor…can I just change the tape? I'll put on something you like…" Elise pleaded, needing a break from AC/DC. It was all that had been played on the way from Denver and after looking through his tape collection - who the bloody hell had tapes anymore?- Elise knew that Dean's tastes were a little broader than just classic Aussie rock. Not that she wasn't a huge fan…even just changing that particular tape for another AC/DC album would be enough.

"No!" Connor shook his head firmly. "House roos!"

" Alright, mate…alright." Elise sighed, leaning her arm out the window and staring in the direction of the cemetery. She was worried sick about Sam and the others. For the last few minutes, a huge surging cloud had been seen, rushing away from the cemetery, filling the night sky. Elise didn't have to be told what it was to know it was bad news. Thankfully, Connor hadn't seen it at all, too busy bouncing to AC/DC and pretending to drive the Impala to have noticed.

A lone figure approached out of the darkness and Elise straightened in her seat, praying it was Sam. But no, it was a girl with long blonde hair in black leather. Hugging herself and walking a little unsteadily. Was this Skye? Had she gotten away some how? Elise couldn't be sure…but there was just something about the situation that didn't sit right with her.

She learned over past Connor and pushed down the locks on his side of the car, then locked her own, bringing up the revolver Sam had left her as she leaned slightly out of the window. " Hold it right there, mate. Who are you?"

"Please…you've got to help me. Sam sent me to come get you. He needs you. Please…"

"What's happened?" Elise's hand went for the door handle without thinking. " Is he okay?"

" He's hurt…Dean's dead. It's all gone to hell down there…please…let me in." Lily pleaded, laying it on thick with the pain in her voice, stumbling a little as she reached the car.

Elise had almost opened the door, when she saw Lily pause outside the salt ring around the car, before she bent down, picking up a short stick from the ground and dragging it through the line that was blocking her way.

"What the hell are you-…oh shit!" Realisation hit Elise like a punch to the solar plexus. This was no ordinary girl. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears, her heart pounding like a triphammer. There was no Sam. No Dean. No John. Elise was alone and she was in charge of keeping Connor safe. It was all up to her.

Frantically trying to wind up the window again, Elise slid across the bench seat away from Lily as the girl reached the door and slid her arm through. Connor hid behind Elise, starting to cry as he saw the angry look on the strange woman's face.

" Let me in your little bitch…I just need to touch you and that snivelling little shit…that's all. You won't feel a thing…my girlfriend didn't. Her heart stopped instantly.."

Elise was only inches from Lily's outstretched hand when she suddenly made her move, taking a huge risk and jamming the gun as close as she could to the girl's head before she pulled the trigger rapid fire, until the clicking of hollow chambers was all that could be heard.

Lily tumbled backwards and slid out of sight, the back of her head gone.

Dropping the gun as if it would bite her, Elise turned to Connor and hugged the little boy, trying to soothe his screams. "She's gone, Connor….its all over, matey…it's okay." She would need to redo the salt line, but not until she had calmed down Connor.

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" Dean Winchester, you've been a real thorn in my side…"

Dean let go of Skye, his hand instantly diving into his jacket for the Colt. He had the gun cocked and aimed all in one fluid motion as he turned towards the Yellow Eyed Demon. The bastard that had taken his mother, taken his father and made him into a demon….tried to steal his little brother. Ruined their lives.

Dean owed this bastard pain….in spades. It was time to end it.

Lifting his hand, Azazel grinned as the gun was torn from Dean's grasp and somersaulted through the air towards his own hand. " Boys shouldn't play with Daddy's guns….that's how people get hurt."

Without hesitation, Azazel aimed the Colt and pulled the trigger, watching with cold satisfaction as the bullet punched through Skye's chest……straight through her heart.

Dean looked on in horror as Skye collapsed without a word, blood soaking through her shirt. He dropped to his knees, forgetting all about the Demon, everything fading out except for Skye in that moment. He dragged her into his arms, searching her face, feeling for a pulse, his mind refusing to accept what it was seeing, what had happened. "No…no, no, no, no. Skye…don't do this. Not now…I got you back. You're safe now…"

"Being seeing you round, Dean…" Azazel grinned, watching the grief already filling the boy's face. Oh, he would have loved to have stayed and watch. What were they going to do to him? The Colt was useless now. The last bullet spent. He'd won.

But there would time to celebrate later. Right now, he had to go and rally the troops. Work, work, work…so little time for fun. The demon casually walked away from the cemetery, whistling merrily.

"Skye? Skye look at me…please?" Dean's voice broke as he pleaded with her, holding her close and feeling the dead weight of her body. No…don't say that. Not that word. Skye was going to be okay. She had to be okay. Dean had just found her. She'd been in his arms, so warm, so full of life. He was going to take her back to Connor and watch the way the little boy lit up as the sight of his mother.

It was all supposed to be happy now, right? That was how it worked… good won…evil lost.

But it was all wrong now. Looking around, Dean could see nothing had been won here. Hell was open, demons still rushing out into the world. Skye was lying lifeless in his arms and Dean had never even had a chance to tell her what he needed to. They'd had no time. Where was the Hollywood moment? The last goodbyes?

This was just cold, hard death. The warmth already leaving her body, the life gone from her eyes.

How was Dean going to face Connor? How could he go back to that little boy…a kid Dean wished with all his heart was his own son, because he was so cool and sweet and just the greatest thing ever…..and tell Connor that his mother was dead? Dean knew that pain. That loss. It tore you open, left you hollowed out for life.

How could he let that happen to Connor?

The Demon had taken another person Dean loved. Had torn open his life again and left a bloody, ragged wound that would never heal…

Pulling back to look at her, Dean ran a hand over Skye's face tenderly, smoothing back her long dark hair, tracing her cheek with one finger. Tears were brimming his eyes, one slipping free to splash down on Skye's face and it was the fact she didn't blink, didn't flinch or react at all that truly drove home to him that she was gone.

Cradling Skye against him again, Dean began to rock before he let out a guttural, heart-torn scream that echoed around the cemetery…..

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_New Chapter will be up in the next couple of days I'm hoping guys...hang in there, the angst isn't over yet..._


	6. My December

_A/N: This Chapter took a little longer than expected because of the holiday season, but I'm glad to say it's done at last. As always, HUGE thanks to LovinJackson for reading this for me...and Debbie too. I'd never get this done without you guys to bounce ideas off. I just hope I've remained true to Dean's character here, given the situation. Any mistakes are mine...because Spellchecker seems to miss them a lot. LOL_

_Anyway...on with the show..._

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_And I'd give it all away  
Just to have somewhere to go to  
Give it all away  
To have someone to come home to _

_My December - Linkin Park_

**Medicine Bow, Southern Wyoming.**

Hell was unleashed, pouring out of the depths of the earth like pus from a wound. Demons were bursting forth, rushing over the landscape and heading away from the Hell Gate, just glad to be free. Free to torment, to cause mayhem, to tear lives apart.

It was in the middle of all that chaos that John Winchester found his son, broken and crying over the body of the woman he loved. It was something John had never wanted his boys to ever know. Losing Mary had torn John's heart out and he knew within himself he wasn't the same man that he'd been before that night. Carrying that pain with you on a daily basis made you hard, drove you and left you with ugly scar tissue inside that would never fade, tainting even the fondest memories you carried of that person.

There were songs that were never the same afterwards for John, memories of holidays, birthdays…his wedding day…even the births of his sons. All memories that he cherished…and yet they all came with the sharp ache of loss.

Why did Sam have to lose Jess? Why did Dean have to lose Skye? How was it fair?

Stop. John knew he had to stop. It wasn't the time for mourning. That would come later. Had to come later. The Hell Gate was still open. They had to close it, had to stop Hell from emptying out onto the world completely. Maybe then, the human world could regroup, rebuild and be ready to fight the demons that were now unleashed amongst them.

Sam was leaning against his father, his stab wound wrapped in the remains of his shirt, a makeshift bandage to cut back on the blood loss and allow his body to start healing. The boy was paler than normal, pure adrenaline the only thing driving him since he had helped his father down from the fence he had been pinned to.

John knew Sam was spent, that he'd already asked too much of the boy in needing Sam to help him before.

"Dean…." John placed a hand on his son's shoulder, squeezing it softly. "Dean, listen to me."

The breath caught in John's throat at the lost look he saw as Dean looked up. For a moment, he wasn't looking at his grown son, but at the tiny four year old standing beside him at their mother's gravestone, looking up at him. His eyes just bright green pools, huge and full of pain. There was blood on his hands where Dean had tried to staunch the blood loss from Skye, even though he had already known it was a pointless. But it had felt wrong not to try, not to at least hope for a moment that he could have saved her. "I can't leave her….I can't leave her alone, Dad." Dean lowered his gaze to Skye again, one hand sliding up and down her arm in a soothing motion that Skye would never feel.

John swallowed thickly, feeling his emotions rising, before the marine within clamped them down and allowed him to take control of the situation. "Dean, we have to close those Hell Gates. Sam's hurt."

Dean's gaze lifted immediately, locking onto his brother as concern filled his face. "Sammy?"

"I'm okay, dude…It's nothing…" Sam assured Dean, lying through his teeth but not wanting to add to the pain his brother was already feeling. He knelt down beside Dean, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, fighting back tears.

"He shot her, Sammy. He just shot her. I….I couldn't do anything. There was no time…" Dean's voice was small and broken as he tried to comprehend how everything had gone so wrong, so fast.

"I know, Dean." Sam's own voice was cracking as he spoke. "Dean, I'll stay with Skye. You need to help Dad." He gently reached towards Skye, unsure if Dean would relinquish his hold on her or not.

"Dean. Come on, dude. The job's not done. I need you. Now." There was more of an edge to John's voice as he spoke, knowing that he had to get through the soldier in Dean now. To his son's credit, the boy allowed Sam to take Skye, then got to his feet, wavering slightly as the shock started to sink in.

" I'm good." Dean shook himself, took a deep breath and headed for the gate. He took one door while John took the other, giving it everything they had until Dean felt for sure he would pop an artery before the doors closed. John dug his feet in, his wings beating behind him to give added force as the door suddenly gave an inch and began to slide. With a growl, John put his good shoulder to it, not letting up until the door clanked into place.

Dean's door had begun to move at the same time and the instant the doors met with a metallic clank, the lock spun back to its proper setting, locking again.

With an angry snarl, Dean slammed his fist into the door, feeling a knuckle crack in his hand and finding himself not caring. The pain was only there for a moment, before the numbness that had began to fall over him after Skye's death took it away again.

John watched his son, recognising that rage, that helplessness that was swimming within his eyes, pulsing through him with every beat of Dean's heart.

Looking over at his father, Dean could see the wounds on his arm and shoulder were bleeding again. "Dad, you need those wounds looked at."

" I know, I know. I'll be okay. Your brother comes first."

Dean's gaze shifted towards Sam, seeing him sitting with Skye as he had promised. There was movement beyond them, someone approaching.

Sam looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching and was surprised to see Andy Gallagher walking towards him, a look of devastation on his face. "I was trying to help her…I didn't know he'd do that, dude…"

"SON. OF. A. BITCH!"

Andy barely had time to register the rage filled face of Dean before the first punch slammed into his jaw and sent him crashing to the ground.

"Dean!" Sam was trying to get his feet, shocked at the way Dean had charged the younger telepath and attacked him. There was murder in Dean's eyes, Sam could see it and he knew he had to stop him. " Dean, don't!"

Andy put up no resistance as Dean hit him again, straddling the man as he grabbed his shirt front and dragged Andy up til they were face to face, his fist cocked back ready to strike. "You killed her! You made her open the gate! I should snap your fucking neck!"

"He was going to kill her if I didn't! I was trying to keep her alive!" Andy countered, waiting for the punches to start again, his lip quivering as tears filled his eyes. " I never meant for her to be hurt, Dean, I swear! I was trying to get her back to you, man…you and Connor were all she thought about."

Dean trembled with rage, seeing nothing in Andy's face to indicate the guy was lying. He wanted so very much to make someone pay for Skye's death, to vent all his rage and anger and despair that was boiling within him. Dean stared at Andy a moment longer, his nostrils flaring, lip quivering as he saw the same guilt and sorrow reflected back from Andy. He recalled the goofy little stoner that had saved his life from his brother…how Dean had wanted so badly to believe that Andy was a good guy and nothing like Ansem Weems or Max Miller; because then Sam had a reason to believe that not everyone the Demon was after was doomed to become a killer.

Andy wasn't the bad guy…even now. It was written all over his face.

"Get away from us, Andy." Dean said tiredly, letting go of the man. He had other things to deal with, people that needed him. " You've done enough…."

Sam had stayed with Skye when he saw that Dean wasn't going to dismember Andy with his bare hands. He recalled his own rage when Jess died. How he had felt so lost, barely treading water amongst the storm of his emotions. But there had been one constant for him…..Dean. His brother had kept Sam anchored and now he would have to do the same for him.

Dean stood up and walked back to Sam and Skye. He gently gathered Skye into his arms, a lump growing in his throat as her head fell against his shoulder. It was so easy to just imagine she was asleep.

Dean wanted to hear her stupid little laugh; hear that soft, gentle tone she had reserved for him when he would ring after a long, tiring hunt while Sam was asleep in their crappy motel room.

Skye had done so much for him, just by being there to listen when things went wrong, when the weight of Dean's responsibilities weighed so heavily on him.

And he had failed her.

It was slowly sinking in for Dean that it was over. They may not have won….but they had closed the Hell Gate, stopped what Yellow Eyes had been trying to do. Dad was hurt, but he would recover. Sam might take longer, but Dean had seen it for himself in his brother's eyes, that the kid would be alright in time. No one else was dying today…they'd lost enough already.

There were a lot of demons to hunt down. The world was scarred….but not irreparably. Bent…but not broken. It would heal in time….but Dean didn't feel like he would.

Shifting Skye in his arms, Dean's face was blank as he spoke, a part of him just shutting down and locking itself away. "I need….I need to take Skye home."

Dean set off towards the Impala, trying to think of what he was going to say to Connor, how he would explain this to him? He was a little boy. Just a freaking kid! Dean had been older and he hadn't understood why it happened, how things like this could be allowed to happen. He'd promised…he'd told Connor again and again that he was bringing his Mom home to him. But dead was never part of the deal, dammit!

"_What'd you ask for anyway, Evan? Huh? Never need Viagra? Bowl a perfect game? What?"_

God, he'd been so cocky at the time, so sure that Evan was just like every one else that made deals with a demon, for fame…for money. But no…the guy had made the deal so his wife would live and at the time it had hit Dean like a knife to the heart. Thinking about his father…about his suspicions of what Dad had done to save him in the hospital. Dean had been so angry at his father, so angry at being alive while his father was dead….but that had been the point. He was alive. That was all his father had cared about.

Things were falling into place, Dean starting to walk faster now, realising what he needed to do. How he could make this better. Skye would never understand and Dad and Sam would be furious with him when they found out, but Dean could live with that…..if Skye was alive. If she was there to raise her little boy and just watch him grow up.

A chance his own mother had lost. Dean could stop Connor from experiencing that pain and letting it change him, turn him into someone he didn't have to be.

"Dean!" John called, carefully helping Sam to his feet and slinging an arm over his shoulder. "Dean, get back here…..Dean!"

There was no response, no backward glance…nothing. Dean had made up his mind and he wasn't about to let his father and Sam stop him.

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Elise was watching the treeline for any sign of Sam, Dean or John returning. They had to be coming back soon, right? Everything was quiet now…the terrifyingly huge cloud was gone. There weren't even any crickets gently chirping again. It was unsettling to say the least.

Connor was sat in the backseat, quietly playing with both his toy Impala and the Mustang that Dean had gotten him back in Denver. He raced the back and forth across the leather seat, quietly making growling noises but always making sure the Impala won each race.

" Connor…want to help me pick the music?" Elise ventured as she leaned on the back of the seat. The little boy hadn't said a word to her since she had shot Lily and it worried Elise deeply. Was he afraid of her now? The same way he was still cautious around Sam?

A soft crack of branches being broken underfoot ended the silence outside of the Impala. Elise spun around and saw Dean emerging from the shadows with someone in his arms. " Connor…stay in the car, matey…I'll be right back."

She opened the driver's door and climbed out, still holding the now empty revolver Sam had given her earlier. " Dean? Dean, where's Sam? Where's John?"

Elise's heart was pounding as she saw the deadness in Dean's eyes. There was just nothing there, no emotion, no spark, nothing. They just seemed empty. He didn't answer her either, just continued to walk towards the Impala and alarm bells began ringing in Elise's head. She moved to place herself in front of Dean, blocking his way. "Dean…answer me, mate. You're scaring the shit of me with this silent act. What the hell is going on? Where's Sam? What happened?"

Looking down at the woman lying in his arms, Elise saw the blood that had soaked through the front of her blouse and a hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp of horror. "Is…is that Skye?"

"Dee! Mommy!!"

The back door of the Impala opened behind Elise and before she could turn to stop Connor, the toddler had ran past her and rushed straight for Dean. It was then, that Elise saw something in Dean, some flash of life. Pain and grief, so intense, so sharp…that she found herself taking a step back. They always said the eyes were windows to the soul….and right now Elise could see that Dean's soul was torn and bloodied, crying out in agony before her.

Dean jumped as though he'd been hit when Connor threw himself against his leg, hugging him tightly. " Dee back! Mommy back!"

The happiness in the little boy's voice was killing Dean as he gently pried himself away and knelt down. He turned Skye in against his chest more to hide the blood as much as possible, tears threatening to fall but not actually breaking the dam. Dean had to hold it together for Connor. That was who mattered here.

" Mommy?" Connor tugged on Skye's arm and stepped back a little, fear and confusion filling his eyes as it slipped loose and hung limply. He watched it for a moment, then looked up at Dean, his lip trembling. " Mommy got boo boo?"

Swallowing a lump his throat that Dean was sure he would soon choke on, he managed to shake his head and put on a shaky smile. "No…" His voice cracked on the word. Dean paused and fought to compose himself as he saw a tear slide down Connor's face. God, the kid knew…he knew his Mom was too quiet….too still. He didn't understand, but Connor still knew something was wrong.

"M-mommy?" Connor grabbed his mother's arm again and tugged it more sharply this time. " Mommy, wake up! Wake up!"

Elise choked back a sob, tears cascading down her cheeks. She still had a hand clamped over his mouth, her other arm tucked in around her as she watched everything unfolding before her. Dean looked up sharply at her and barely shook his head, silently asking her to hold it together.

Connor was beginning to cry, his lip quivering more now as fat tears welled up in his eyes and spilt down his cheeks as he continued to tug on Skye's arm. "Mommy, pease…pease wake up. Wake up!"

It was a desperate frightened plea that kick started Dean's brain at last out of the grief he was feeling and stirred into action the man who had looked after his little brother through the loss of their mother.

The lie came to Dean so easily. He wasn't going to break this little boy's heart. Not if there was a chance to fix all this. "No, Connor, listen to me, little dude. Your Mom? She's just sleeping. She…"

How was he explaining this? Did he actually dare do this? Take it this far? What sort of a bastard was he to lie to a child?

"leeping?? Mommy wake up oon?" Connor's tears had fallen away to erratic sniffles, the words tumbling out of him with such hope that Dean felt his heart clench in his chest.

"Yeah…she's just asleep. You see, there was this….this evil magician and he put a spell on your Mom. Just like in the fairy tales…you like them, right? Snow White and all that?" Dean had no idea what he was talking about…but he'd seen the Disney versions, they had to have some of it right, surely. The fact Connor nodded solemnly and was still listening with his eyes bright with hope, spurred Dean on further. "Well this spell means your Mommy's in a deep, deep sleep. But I'm going to make her wake soon…okay?"

" Dean!" Elise half gasped, half growled. She was stunned to think he was willing to lie to a little boy like that.

Dean glared at Elise for a moment, knowing he was damned for this. But he was damned anyway if he saved Skye so it didn't matter. As long as he had Connor hoping, as long as that little boy no longer had to think about his mother being dead, Dean would take anything they could throw at him. Turning back to Connor, Dean continued, "I need to go see a magic…uhhh…fairy! Yeah, see this fairy can fix your Mommy, okay? But I need you to be brave for me. Think you can do that?"

"Uh huh." Connor nodded, his voice small.

"That's it. That's my little guy. Now you scramble on into that backseat and we'll go see the fairy, okay?"

" Okay!" Connor spun and raced back to the car, clambering inside as quickly as he could, using the seatbelt to pull himself up.

Dean carefully stood up again, still cradling Skye in his arms. He walked around to the passenger's side and gently laid her inside, noticing Elise buckling Connor into his baby seat before she sat down in the back. " What the hell are you doing? Get out. Wait for Sam and Dad."

"What…and let you go off alone with Connor and his d--….with Skye like this? Feeding the kid bloody fairy stories and bullshit because you don't have the balls to tell him the truth?" Elise demanded angrily.

"Who said I was lying?" Dean arched an eyebrow, his face set in stone before he went around to the driver's side and climbed in. " Last chance, Elise…get out."

"No. You're not thinking straight, Dean!"

"Yes I am. For the first time, I'm thinking straight." Dean told her in the rear-view mirror before he turned the key and the Impala growled throatily into life. "Fine. Stay. But I'm warning you…don't get in my way."

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"Fuck!" John growled as he stumbled from the treeline with Sam still leaning heavily against him. The clearing was empty. No Impala to be seen anywhere. "What the hell is Dean doing?"

Sam felt panic fluttering in his gut. He'd seen that look before on his brother's face and he knew Dean wasn't thinking rationally. Where was Elise? Had she gone with him? How the hell would they find them in time to stop Dean from making a huge mistake. "You know what Dean's doing, Dad…you taught him about it."

"What are you….oh shit, he wouldn't…?" John scrubbed a hand worried over his face, smelling stale blood and finally realising how much his body ached, how badly he wanted to rest and make sure Sam's wound was tended to. But he didn't have time right now. Right now, he had to worry about his eldest son. Was Dean stupid enough to try and make a deal for Skye? "We don't know he's doing that, Sam."

"Don't we?" Sam snapped, turning on his father and feeling his legs trembling, his body still weakened and fighting to heal. "Cause I'm pretty damn sure you know that's exactly what he's doing, Dad! Dean thinks like you. Did you hesitate when it came to saving Dean?"

John reached out and steadied Sam with one arm, meeting his son's angry gaze and knowing he was right. The only thought John had when Dean was dying, was that he had to save him. Anything else was an afterthought. He'd known that it would hurt his sons, but it had still been the only choice he'd had. Losing Dean was just not an option….and he knew Dean felt the same way about Skye. Because if John had been able to spare Mary in return for himself, he would have done it in a heartbeat, the same way Dean was now. "Then we'd better haul ass and stop him."

"Well you're the one with wings…can't you just get airborne or something?"

"And do what, Sam? Carry you like a sea eagle with a fish?" John demanded dryly. " Besides…" He unfurled his injured wing slowly to reveal the ragged hole torn in it. "I'm not going anywhere right now with this."

"Shit." Sam bit off, feeling the panic surging in him again. " We have to find him, Dad. We've got to stop him."

"I know, Sammy, I know. We'll find him." John had no idea exactly how they were achieving that.

A set of headlights caught his eyes and forced John to throw his hand up to shield his vision. He gently pulled Sam back towards the treeline and behind him, already drawing his gun and aiming for the car that was pulling up in front of them.

"Whoa…whoa. It's just me! Andy… Andy Gallagher?" Andy had his hands raised as he climbed out of the car, watching John nervously. The man had never met him, but Andy wasn't about to mess with a birdman that had left Jake hanging from the fence like some sort of warning to a conquering army.

"Andy? What the hell? What are you doing here? We left you back in the cemetery." Sam couldn't believe their luck.

"Yeah, well…I owe you guys. I mean, you could have killed me there. But you didn't. So I want to help. I want to try and make up or what I've done….if…if you'll let me?"

John and Sam shared a look, before they headed for the car.

"Sam, you're driving. I'll take the backseat." John stated, opening the back door and climbing in with a bit of a struggle, trying to get his wings to fit. It was awkward to say the least, causing him enough discomfort to ensure his mood was even more sour by the time they hit the road. "Try reaching out to your brother. See if you can sense where he is, if he's close. We're running out of time….fast."

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**Trampas Lodge, Medicine Bow, Wyoming. **

The town was empty, just vacated and silent like a ghost town. Elise had been looking for signs of life since the Impala had rolled into town, finding the whole feel of the place un-nerving. Or maybe that was just because for the past 20 mins, she'd been watching Dean from the back seat, noting the way he had Skye's body nestled against him as though she'd fallen asleep during the drive. Every so often he would idly brush a stray hair from her face and Elise just wanted to scream at him to stop. It didn't matter anymore. Skye wasn't going to notice it.

Cars were still sitting where they had been abandoned. Screen doors were swinging slowly in the night wind. There was even a tumbleweed for crying out loud! Elise was starting to think this whole wild west deal was beyond a joke…and considering she had been going to visit the Museum of Oz…that was saying something.

The Impala pulled into a simple looking roadside motel called the Trampas Lodge. A cartoon cowboy greeted them from the sign. Elise looked at Dean as though he was insane…which she was beginning to actually consider. "What are we doing here?"

"It's a motel. You want to spend the night in the car? Be my guest. But I'm betting the beds in there are more comfortable." Dean explained casually before he opened his door and went around to the passenger side. He gently pulled Skye out and cradled her against his chest, waiting for Elise to help with Connor. " You coming?"

" I'm going to regret this…I just know it." Elise sighed, climbing out and unbuckling Connor from his seat. She held her hand out to the little boy, only to have him run around her and straight to Dean, grabbing hold of the corner of his jacket. Elise rolled her eyes and swore under her breath as she followed them, wishing Sam was here to knock some sense into his brother. Just what the hell was he planning on doing with a dead body? How was this doing Connor any good at all?

Dean walked up to the motel office, grabbing a set of keys to one of the family size rooms, off the rack hanging behind the desk. Connor followed along aside him without a word and the picture might have looked like any normal family, if not for one thing.

The room itself was plain and functional with a pair of beds, a TV in one corner, small bathroom and the basics of a kitchenette that allowed you to make coffee. Another bedroom, obviously designed to give the parents some space, was just off to the right through a doorway. Dean carried Skye through the main bedroom and laid her on the bed. He came back out and switched on the TV, finding the usual blank, snowy screens.

"Wait here…I'll be right back." Dean told Connor. He went out to the trunk of the Impala and retrieved Skye's laptop along with it's power supply and his duffle bag. Dean took the laptop back inside and plugged it into the wall, then let it boot up and began to look through the files, finding what he had hoped for. A folder full of music videos. "Connor…here you go. Come and watch this for me, huh? You want to watch Mommy's music?"

Connor ran over to the bed where the laptop was sitting and sat down in front of it, grinning. As soon as the music started up, his little head was bobbing to the music, body swaying.

"I'll just be in the next room…" Dean told Connor, catching Elise staring at him, clearly unhappy with things. He tried to ignore her as he took a small jug from the kitchenette and went to the bathroom, filling it with warm water. There was a wash cloth folded up beside the basin that Dean took too, heading back towards the bedroom. He paused in the doorway and looked back at Elise, unable to take the way her eyes were burning holes in his back. "What?"

"You're unbelievable, mate…"

"So I've heard." Dean shot back, his face cast in stone, his eyes hollow. He closed the door behind him and took in the sight of Skye lying on the bed, so still. Leaning back against the door, Dean let out a breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding. He could do this. He had to. There was no way he was leaving Skye covered in blood and looking like that.

Forcing himself to approach, Dean sat down on the edge of the bed beside Skye, putting the jug of water on the bedside table. She looked so pale now. No matter how much Dean wanted to lie to himself and say she would wake up at any moment, the pallor of her skin and the blueness of her lips told him the truth. Tears spilled down his face, the only concession he would give to his grief as he quietly took the washcloth and soaked it in the water.

Dean unbuttoned her blouse and gently lifted Skye up, undressing her. He couldn't help but think how only a couple of days before, he had been unbuttoning that same blouse for an entirely different reason.

"I'm sorry." The apology slipped out brokenly, knowing that Skye couldn't hear him now. "I screwed up and look what's happened. I know…I know it wasn't my job to protect you. You were always so independent, always telling me that you could look after yourself and Connor. But I still felt like it was, you know? You never asked me to do that for you. You never expected anything from me…and I loved that. I loved the fact you took me for who I am without question."

His hands ghosted over the skin around the bullet wound, washing away the blood, and letting Dean see the damage for the first time. " I'm sorry I let this happen. I'm sorry I didn't keep you safe…"

More silent tears spilt as he rummaged through his duffel bag and found one of Skye's t-shirts. Dean slipped it over her head and gently pulled her arms through, trying not to think of the coldness of Skye's skin. Laying her back down on the bed, Dean traced his fingers over her face one more time. " I'm going to fix this, Skye. I'm going to get you needs you back."

He scrubbed his hand over his face, rubbing away the hot tears that kept burning a trail down his cheeks. " I need you back."

Dean knew now that he'd been denying his feelings for too long. Scared to have his heart broken and locked into a life that didn't allow for a family or any of the normal things a person craved. The sort of life Dean had lost as a child.

He'd lost his chance now with Skye and it left an emptiness, a hollowness in Dean that was chilling him to the bone. It had been the simple things that he had loved the most. The excitement in Skye's voice when he had called her, no matter what time of night it was. Watching Connor play with his mother, the way Skye looked when she was asleep, curled up against his chest.

Dean wanted it back, wanted to touch that world again and be reminded that not everything in his world was death and destruction. Something to fight for. Dad and Sam were his family…but so were Skye and Connor. What the demon had torn apart, Dean was going to put back together.

Getting to his feet, Dean took one last look at Skye, and headed for the door. Elise was sitting with Connor, keeping the little boy company as he danced and bopped on the bed to the laptop. She looked up as Dean strode purposefully for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Out? What the hell do you mean out?" Elise scrambled to her feet and ran a hand quickly over Connor's head. "Stay here, mate, don't move." She ran out the door after Dean and caught him by the arm. "Dean!"

He rounded on her so sharply, that Elise was forced to take a step back. With a look that could freeze the sun, Dean's gaze travelled down slowly to where she had hold of him, then back up at Elise. "You want to remove your hand from my arm?"

Elise released him, trying not to back down. "Dean, talk to me, mate. Where are you going? You can't bring us here, leave me and Connor with a dead--"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Why? It's the truth, Dean. She's gone, mate. You need to accept that and tell Connor the truth….you can't keep lying to that little boy!"

Dean's gaze was still positively arctic. "I wasn't lying. I'm going to fix this…I'm bringing Skye back."

"How?" Elise scoffed, wishing for all the world that Sam was here with her. She barely knew Dean, didn't know how to talk to him, make him see sense. It was beginning to look as though she was trying to reason with a madman and that scared the hell out of her. What was Dean capable of? "With your bloody magic fairy or whatever that bullshit was you told Connor? I'm not a baby, Dean. You don't have to lie to me. You _can't _fix this! Skye's gone."

"You have no idea." Dean informed her darkly, taking a step back and turning towards the Impala. " Just stay with Connor, keep him safe until I get back…"

"Dean!" Elise called after him, wondering what the hell he was talking about? There was an uneasy pit in her stomach as she went back inside the motel room, wishing she could contact Sam and John.

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The crossroads seemed more deserted than the first set Dean ever stood on alone. There was no little bar nearby where he could get a drink….and god, Dean wanted one right now. His throat was dry, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked around, waiting for the Crossroads Demon to appear. " Come on, you bitch. What the hell are you waiting for? I'm not getting any fresher!"

"Oh now don't sell yourself too short there, Dean Winchester. The smell of desperation is like ringing a dinner bell where I come from." The woman was dressed in a beautiful midnight blue dress that was slit up the sides to her thighs, and low enough in front to leave very little to the imagination….other than how her ample cleavage wasn't falling out. She sashayed up to Dean and laid her hand on his shoulder, sliding it across to the other shoulder as she walked behind him. " So what can I do for you, honey?"

Dean fought the urge to shiver at the demon's touch. He had to do this fast, before it was too late, before Sam and Dad found him. "You know what I want. Skye…I want you to bring her back."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you get my soul. You bring Skye back…and you get to have me. All I want is ten years." Dean knew it wasn't going to be long enough, but as long as Skye was alive, he would deal.

The demon laughed mockingly at him, and raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "You're assuming you're actually valuable, Dean. You're not."

"Come again?" Dean had expected her to be cruel…but not to shut him down entirely.

"You're tainted, honey. Damaged goods now that you have demon blood in your veins. Your soul's worthless to me. I'd love to help you….but it's just not possible." The demon sounded genuinely disappointed. "Guess you came all the way out here for nothing."

"Give me five years."

"No."

"Three."

"Dean…you don't seem to understand my position here." The demon clucked her tongue sadly.

"One year.." Dean looked at the demon desperately. "Come on…one year and you can send your damn hell hounds after me. That's a good deal!"

The demon seemed to contemplate it for a moment, her eyes washing over Dean's body like a thirsty man spying an oasis. She leaned in close to Dean, pressing her body against his and smiling as her lips brushed against his cheek. "No deal. You're not worth even a year…"

Dean felt as though he couldn't breathe. He'd promised Connor he could fix this and get Skye back. This was supposed to have worked! But now he knew he was as worthless as the demons and monsters he slaughtered. Just a half breed mongrel with a worthless soul. It was like there was a hand squeezing his heart, the pressure just so intense and painful that it stole any air left in his lungs.

The demon backed away and turned her back on him. "Sorry, Dean…my hands are tied. I can't help you."

"Please…." Dean pleaded, too desperate to care now. He saw the demon pause and turn slowly, a cold smile on her face as she slowly walked back to him, tapping one long, slender finger on her jaw in a thoughtful manner.

"I really shouldn't be doing this. I could lose my job…and a whole lot more than that. But I just can't help feeling sorry for you right now. So I'm going to give you one year…that's it. One year and then your soul is mine. You try getting out of the deal? And Skye not only drops dead, but I will personally ensure she suffers in Hell."

Dean bristled at the thought of that, but the deal was on the table, on offer. "I thought you said my soul was worthless?"

" It is…but it seems you've got some collateral to back it up. Let's just say it's all in the fine print, honey and this offer is getting cold fast. Do you want it or not? Cause I'm walking away right now…."

Dean's mind was racing. Collateral? Was she talking about Sam? Was that it? They wanted to use him to get to Sam?

"Last chance, stud….make sure you don't use too many big words when you break the news to that little boy about his mommy being dead, I'd hate for you to make it any harder on him than it already will be."

"Alright!" Dean yelled, his shoulders sagging in defeat. The bitch knew exactly how to get under his skin. "Alright…whatever it takes. Just bring back Skye."

The demon spun on her heels and quickly crossed the space between them. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? One year….one long year with the woman you love."

"So you'll bring her back?"

"I will."

Dean grabbed the demon and kissed her, his stomach recoiling at the way her tongue was plundering his mouth, her hands sliding around to hold him close.

Fifteen miles away, Skye coughed and jerked, her eyes snapping open and looking around the room in utter confusion as she sat up. Her hand rubbed at her chest, wondering why it was aching so badly.

What the hell had just happened??

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_A/N 2: Next Chapter, we'll see more of Bobby and Missouri...not to mention see the fallout of Dean's deal with his family..._


	7. Facing The Music

_A/N: Hey, sorry this is sooo late! My muse just stopped talking to me, the bitch. LOL I hate Aussie summers, they are murder on the brain. As always, I have to thanks Lovinjackson and Deb for thier tireless help in reading through for me and telling me if it sucks or not. I owe you guys!!_

_Hope you enjoy...I will be updating again soon. _

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**Valentine, Nebraska.**

The Sun was starting to rise the next time Bobby Singer opened his eyes and looked around the room he was in. Missouri was gone and he was alone…..except for Gordon Walker watching him from the armchair in the corner.

Bobby sat up sharply, grunting in pain as his ankle was suddenly scraped by the cuff that held him to the bed, the chain jerking taut. "What the hell? Get this chain off me!"

He gave Gordon a glare, knowing that the hunter had to be behind this. The simple son of a bitch probably thought it made Bobby less of a threat. All it did, was guarantee that Bobby was going to tear Gordon Walker a new one the moment he got free.

" I didn't want to end up like this, Bobby. We used to be on the same side." Gordon spoke softly, watching the older man calmly from across the room.

" Yeah well, that was before I realised what a damn lunatic you are, Walker. Everything's just black and white for you, isn't it?"

" It should be for you too, Bobby." Gordon sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. " Maybe then you'd have realised that the Winchesters are the enemy. You've seen them yourself. You know what Sam's capable of….and John? I hear he's more demon than Sam. Helluva shame to lose a hunter like him to other side."

Bobby let his head full back on his pillow, rolling his eyes. " Get the hell out of here, Gordon. I'm done talking to you. You're too blind to see the truth of what's happening out there and I'm not damn well wasting breath and brain cells trying to get through to you."

Gordon stood up slowly. "I was leaving anyway, Bobby. Jo and I have some business to attend to. Seems a Hell's Gate has been opened in Wyoming and the word's already spreading that the Winchester's were there. I told you they were trouble. You should have listened to me, old man. We could have stopped this before it was too late. Now I have to go clean up your mess…."

Bobby tried to sit up again as Gordon let the room, his gut telling the mechanic that Gordon's idea of clean up was definitely bad news. " Walker!! Walker, you stay the hell away from Sam! Walker!"

There was no way that Bobby was going to sit back and let that son of a bitch hurt Sam, Dean or John. Kicking out with his free foot, Bobby hit the metal railing he was chained to, a dull clank ringing out. Setting his jaw, Bobby began to steadily kick at the post, ignoring the noise he was making. If it brought Phill or Ellen, then he'd deal with whatever happened then…but Bobby was done with being chained up like a dog.

How much time past between when Bobby began to try and free himself…..and Ellen came into the room, he wasn't sure. But the woman was pale, deep lines had appeared in her face. It was enough to make Bobby pause and he frowned with concern. " Ellen? What is it? What's happened?"

" Gordon's gone and he's take Jo with him."

" Jo?" Bobby hadn't expected that, even though Gordon had said her name before. Oh sure, he knew Jo had always had a soft spot for Gordon, ever since she was a little girl and had taken to calling the man 'Uncle Gordon'. But Jo wasn't actually swallowing the bullcrap Gordon was spouting, was she? "What the hell is that girl thinking?"

"She's not, Bobby! That's girl hasn't been thinking for months now, following Gordon around on hunts, trying to fill her Daddy's shoes. Bill got himself killed and dammit, he'd going to take Jo down with him." Ellen snapped angrily, beginning to pace the room. She was chewing nervously at her thumb, already taking it down to the quick and making it bleed. "Gordon's got her head all turned around about Sam…and now that John's back?" Ellen didn't say anything else. She knew Bobby was smart enough to figure it out.

" Revenge. Jesus, Ellen…how could you let her go? Where the hell's Phill? Why didn't he try and stop them?"

Ellen wouldn't meet Bobby's gaze. " He did. Gordon shot him."

"Shot him!" Bobby felt a surge of fear for his friend, despite the fact Phill had helped Gordon before. "Is he--..?"

" Missouri's with him. He's lucky, the bullet missed anything vital."

" Dammit, Ellen. Get this chain off me now and let me go after them."

Ellen eyed Bobby warily, weighing her options. "You'll bring Jo back?"

" You know I will, Ellen. Now quit screwing around and get me loose. I've got to stop that bastard." Bobby stated firmly. His head was still throbbing and he knew he would still carry a headache for a few days. But Bobby had dealt with worse and he wasn't about to let his friends die at Gordon's hands because of a damn concussion.

Ellen took a key from her back pocket and unlocked the chain on Bobby's ankle, offering the man a helping hand to stand up. The room swam for a moment as Bobby kept a firm grip on Ellen's arm until he had his balance, then he released her and nodded gently. " Thanks. Now you got any idea of where they might have been headed?"

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**Trampas Lodge, Medicine Bow, Wyoming.**

Skye slowly swung her feet off the bed and stood up, looking around the room she was in, her heart racing a million miles an hour. Where the hell was she? Where was the cemetery? What happened? The ache in her chest wouldn't go away and with a slight puzzled frown, Skye lifted her shirt and looked down, sucking in a sharp breath in horror at the deep little scar that was nestled over her heart. Flashes came back to her. Skye could see Dean turning towards Azazel with the Colt, saw the gun torn from his hands…there was a shot….and then nothing. There was nothing after that.

Forget uneasiness. Skye had a ball of ice forming in her stomach. There were so many questions forming in her mind. Where was Dean? Was he alright? There was a duffel bag beside the bed on the floor. One look told Skye it was Dean's. So he had to be around somewhere…right? But just underneath the bag was the blouse she had been wearing before. Picking it up, she found it soaked in blood. Skye dropped it and stepped back as though the shirt was about to bite her. What did it mean? That much blood had to be fatal….but she wasn't dead. What the hell did that mean?

Music was filtering through from the other side of the door. Skye walked over slowly, reaching out tentatively for the door handle, her heart pounding. Who was on the other side? Was she safe now? Did she dare go out there? What if Azazel had taken her again and there was nothing on the other side of this door but pain and death? For a moment, Skye withdrew her hand again, fear gripping her tightly. But then a familiar giggle caught her ears and all hesitation was lost.

As the door swung open, Skye saw a sight that instantly had tears welling in her eyes and her throat closing up. Connor was sat on a bed with her laptop, his little head bobbing to the beat as he smiled. There was a strange woman sitting with him and the instant she looked up, Skye saw nothing but sheer terror in her eyes.

"Oh shit!" Elise exclaimed, scrambling off the bed and pulling Connor behind her as she backed away from what appeared to be Skye….standing in the doorway. How was that possible? It had to be some sort of trick. Maybe it was something to do with the demons? " You stay the hell away from us! You hear me?"

" Mommy!!" Connor was wriggling like a bag of eels in Elise's hands, trying to break free, trying to get around her and run to his mother. " Leh go! Want Mommy!"

"Get your hands off my son!" Skye growled, stepping forward with her hands clenched into fists. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you touch a hair on his head and I'll end you, I swear to god."

Elise couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sure, Dean had said he would fix this….but what the hell had he done? There was no way to bring someone back from the dead…was there? The moment the thought entered her mind, Elise realised that Dean himself was proof of that. So was John. But how the hell had Dean managed it? Was Dean even behind this? Elise still wasn't ready to believe that it wasn't to do with the demons….

But Connor wasn't going to be deterred, no matter how much Elise tried to hold him. The little boy had been without his mother for what felt like forever and now she was there in front of him. He dropped to the floor suddenly, his entire body becoming dead weight and pulling on Elise with such sudden force, that she was forced to let go of his hand or fall over. "No, Connor, wait!"

Like a flash, Connor was on his feet and running to Skye. She dropped to her knees and threw her arms around him, hugging her son like there was no tomorrow, tears washing down her face and her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "Hey little man, I've missed you!"

Connor pulled back and clapped his little hands to his mother's cheeks, grinning. " Dee aw fairy. Woke Mommy up!"

"Dean saw a fairy, huh?" Skye questioned as she stood up with Connor in her arms. She had no idea what her son was talking about, but right now it didn't matter. She had Connor back. He was safely in her arms again. Looking over at the woman who was still eyeing her warily, Skye asked, " So…you mind if I ask you a few questions? Like who the hell are you are and why is my son with you? Where's Dean? Where's John?"

The motel room door opened before Elise could speak up and Dean appeared, looking first at Elise, before his gaze swung across to take in the sweetest possible sight imaginable. The relief and sheer joyousness in his face lit up Dean's smile like a thousand watt globe. "Skye…"

" Dean?" Skye was thrown by the emotion she could see in him. Like he'd just woken from a horrible nightmare to realise that it was nothing more than a dream. In several short steps, he was across the room, throwing his arms around Skye and hugging her fiercely. Connor wriggled between them, giggling and reaching out with one small arm to pat Dean on the shoulder. "Dee happy?"

Dean didn't trust his voice at first, his throat too choked up as he buried his face in Skye's hair and closed his eyes, letting himself feel her warmth and know she was alive. Then he straightened, his green eyes searching Skye's face as if he needed to confirm it was still real and not just a fervent wish on his behalf.

"Dean, what--…?" Skye's question was cut short as Dean suddenly captured her lips with a soft, tender kiss that had Skye weak at the knees instantly. His hand slid up slowly to rest against her cheek as the kiss deepened, Skye falling into it with abandon and closing her eyes, wanting to drown in Dean and never come up for air. It was as if all the pieces of the puzzle where suddenly falling into place and Skye no longer felt lost or frightened. She was where she was meant to be.

Elise cleared her throat behind the couple, getting no response at first. Repeating the move, making it louder and more obvious, Elise gave Dean an uncomfortable smile as he turned slowly and narrowed his eyes at her. " So…uh…someone want to explain to me what the bloody hell just happened? Cause you might think your God's gift to women, Dean? But the last time I looked? You weren't Jesus and you sure as hell didn't have the power to bring people back from the dead."

" The dead?" Skye pulled back, confusion written all over her face as she looked between Dean and Elise. " Dean? Who the hell is that woman and what was she doing with my son? What does she mean bringing people back from the dead?" Her hand went to her chest self consciously feeling the scar under her shirt and feeling the ball of ice in her stomach growing.

Dean was still glaring at Elise, his mind racing as he tried to think of what to say, how to explain everything to Skye.

From outside the room, there came a screech of tyres and the sound of several car doors opening. Elise moved to the door and opened it a fraction, then flung it open as Sam's tall frame filled the doorway, his gaze locking instantly on his brother. A mixture of relief and fury could be seen in his expression.

Elise rushed forward and threw her arms around Sam, relieved to find him safe. He grunted in pain, stumbling back a step before he returned the embrace until Elise withdrew, seeing the blood on his shirt. " Jesus, Sam…are you alright? Come on…sit down." She grabbed him by the arm and tried to lead Sam towards one of the beds.

"No." Sam's voice was sharp and angry as he gently pushed Elise aside and strode towards Dean. " What the hell were you thinking, Dean? Have you lost your fucking mind?"

John burst in the door a moment later, his wings spreading out and sending the door almost into the wall. The crash as it hit, made Skye jump, cradling Connor to her as she backed away towards the bedroom again, her eyes wide. What was Sam doing here? When had they found him? Skye still didn't know who the other girl was. Why was everyone so angry? Nothing made sense and her head was beginning to throb. Connor was crying in her arms no, picking up on the tension in the room.

" Sam, just listen to me."

" No, Dean. I can't believe you actually went and did it!" Sam growled, towering over his brother angrily. " How the hell could you do that? After what you went through when Dad died…how could you put us through that? How could you put me through that again?"

Dean held his ground defiantly. "I wasn't thinking about you, Sam! I did what I had to. What Connor needed!"

Skye's heart was pounding now, the ugly pockmark over it suddenly sharply painful. Everything was starting to fall into place and she didn't want to hear it. Reaching behind her, she found the door handle and twisted it quickly, wrenching the bedroom door open.

" Skye…wait.." John stepped forward, seeing the fear in her eyes. This was becoming more of a mess with each passing minute. John was furious with Dean too, but he also understood what had driven his son to do it.

There was a sudden crash as Dean was thrown bodily into the wall by his brother. Sam had him by the jacket lapels, lifting him off the ground. "What Connor needed?? Oh that's rich, Dean! And how long did you get huh? How long before Connor's watching you get buried instead of Skye?"

There was the sharp edge of distress in Sam's voice. He'd already watched his brother die in his arms and had grieved his loss, becoming someone he wasn't in the process. Now he was supposed to just sit back and let it happen again? Just accept that Dean's life was forfeit in return for Skye? And what about Skye? How the hell was she supposed to live with a sacrifice like that?

"Let it go, Sam…please." Dean pleaded, hating the anger and pain in his brother's eyes. That wasn't what Dean had wanted to do. He'd just wanted Skye back and whatever happened after that? Well….he would figure that out later. But now everyone was pissed with him, Skye was looking like she either wanted to run or throw up…maybe both.

Sam released Dean, then collapsed as his knees buckled under him, his breathing sudden laboured as his body reminded him that he was carrying a serious wound. Not even adrenaline was enough to keep him going any longer.

"Shit! Sam!" Dean grabbed Sam by the shirt and held him long enough to get his arms under his brother, walking him backwards to a bed. The moment Sam's legs hit the bed, he fell back, letting Dean guide him since any last vestiges of strength were rapidly running out. He gasped in pain as Dean gently guided his legs up onto the bed.

" Easy, dude….you need that wound looked at." Dean tried to soothe. He hadn't realised that Sam was so badly hurt and guilt flooded this system. He was torn in two directions, his life long need to watch out for Sam at odds with the need Dean had had to bring Skye back before it was too late.

" No shit, Captain Obvious." Sam muttered, batting his brother's hands away. " Leave me alone, Dean. Just….just leave me alone. I can't deal with you right now, dude. "

Dean stepped back with a hurt expression that deepened as Elise moved forward and was allowed to tend to Sam without any protest. What the hell as he supposed to do now? He turned and saw his father nearby, talking quietly to Skye. Whatever was being said, didn't agree with Skye apparently as Dean watched her shake her head and back into the bedroom, slamming the door shut. "Dad?"

" You need to talk to her, Dean. Now. You need to be honest." John warned his son before he backed away, carefully folding his wings in to stop them knocking anything over. Damn things had a mind of their own, John was sure of that.

He had his own injuries that were still healing and it was with a tired groan, that John dropped down on the other remaining bed.

Dean stood outside the bedroom door, looking at his father, then over at Sam. He was needed out here with his family, but Dad was right. He needed to talk to Skye too.

John could see that Dean was torn and he nodded towards the door. " We've got it covered out here, Dean. Go and see to Skye. That's an order…"

He watched as Dean hesitated a moment longer, watching his brother with bright, hurt eyes before he seemed to sag a little and disappeared into the bedroom. There was no easy way out of what Dean had done, but John was going to do his best to help him. There was no doubt in his mind that Dean had simply followed taught by John himself and Dean was always putting others before himself.

Dean's absence from the room hadn't gone un-noticed by Sam. He'd heard his father's order to Dean and knew that his brother had to be hurting himself now over the reaction Sam had given him. But what did Dean expect? Sam was never going to be happy about his brother offering his soul up like it was simply a bargaining chip. There was never going to be an acceptance of Dean going to Hell. It had torn Sam up knowing Dad was in Hell. The thought of Dean suffering for eternity was unbearable.

Sam had to get his mind off that for a moment, turning his attention to Elise and seeing how scared she was looking at his stab wound. " There's a first aid kit in the trunk of the Impala. Suture kit, antiseptic, everything we need." Sam informed Elise quietly as she held his hand. " I can send Dad out to get them if you can't--…"

" No! No…I'm okay." Elise assured him, taking a deep breath. It was obvious that Sam was exhausted, fighting to stay awake now that the adrenaline was gone and his body knew it could rest. "Just hang in there, okay? I'll be right back…"

Turning to John as she got up from the bed, Elise asked, "Keep an eye on him for me?"

It was a question that amused John in a small way, because he knew Elise had asked it without realising how she sounded, that her concern for Sam was glaringly obvious and not just in the usual way of a friend. The way she had been holding Sam's hand, how Elise had gone to his side to care for him when he collapsed. John had seen it all before and it was good to know that his youngest son had someone to care for him like that. But was Sam aware of it himself?

John nodded to Elise. "He'll be alright, you get what you need."

Elise paused in the doorway for a split second, looking at Sam, then went out to the Impala. She nearly jumped out of her skin as the driver's door of the car beside the Impala opened and a small built man stepped out, instantly throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Whoa! Hey…sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Andy….I'm uhhh….a friend of Sam's I guess? Is everything okay in there? I didn't want to intrude before but it's pretty freaking creepy sitting out here alone, you know?"

Watching Andy cautiously, Elise realised that he must had brought John and Sam here. She relaxed a little and nodded, smiling. " Yeah, there's a lot of things lately that I'd call pretty freaking creepy."

Andy snapped his fingers and pointed at Elise, making her jump slightly. " Exactly!! Everything's so screwed up now." He shook his head, wondering what he was going to do now that Azazel had cut him loose? If he had?…For all Andy knew, the guy was just waiting in the wings to surprise him for being a freaking turncoat.

Closing the car door, Andy tucked his hands into his armpits to keep them warm in the cold night air. "So...uh…you need some help with anything?"

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Skye had her back to Dean as he entered the bedroom. The room was quiet, except for Skye rocking gently with Connor snuggled up against her chest, his ear pressed above her heart as she sang softly. The little boy looked so content, so peaceful, lying there with his eyes closed.

But Dean could sense the feeling from Skye was anything but peaceful. There was a heaviness in the air, a sense of growing tension now that he had entered the room. Moving around the bed, he saw Skye with her eyes closed, her singing changing to a soft humming, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Skye?"

Her eyes snapped open to look at him and the emotions swimming within them suddenly made it hard for Dean to breathe. Skye didn't move, she simply watched him, taking in every single inch of his face. A face that had gotten her through her imprisonment by the demon….through the pain and horror of what she was supposed to do. That was all behind her now because Dean had come through for her. He'd saved her…..in more ways than one and the guilt that it brought was overwhelming. Skye turned slowly and carefully laid Connor down on the bed behind her, smiling at his sleeping figure. Running a hand over his blonde hair, Skye's breath hitched in her throat, becoming a strangled sob.

" Hey….hey…" Dean knelt down in front of Skye, placing a hand on her knee. "It's okay…"

"Okay?" Skye laughed bitterly, turning back to Dean, tears brimming her eyes. "Nothing about this is okay, Dean!" She paused to take a shaky breath, the tears spilling as she blinked, flowing down her face. Reaching down to her feet, Skye picked up the bloodstained blouse and held it out to Dean with shaking hands. "Look at this. How is this okay? I….I died, didn't I? I died back there?"

Dean couldn't bring himself to speak, to verbally acknowledge what had happened. He could feel her lying in his arms, so lifeless, growing cold so quickly. It was feeling he never wanted to know again.

"What did you do, Dean? What was Connor talking about before? Fairies? What the hell was all that?" Skye demanded, her voice breaking as she tried to put some fire into her words.

" I made a deal."

" A deal?" Skye frowned, then it began to dawn on her. "You made a deal for my life? Is that what you did? What the hell was the price, Dean? How much am I worth? Just what have you done?"

"My soul….I sold my soul for you." Dean said quietly.

"What?" Skye couldn't believe it. She had heard Sam and Dean talk about John in the past. How they had suspected that was how Dean survived the collision with the truck all that time ago. Skye had seen the scars it had left in Dean, the pain it caused him to know his father died for him….and now he had done the same for her. She wanted to hug him and never let go. How could Dean have done that for her? Why would he do that? No one had ever shown her that sort of love. Not even her own family. They had cut her off after she married Jason, turning their back on her even in the face of Connor's birth and the trouble that had arisen after Jason's murder.

Dean and Sam had shown her that not everyone was like her family. Skye had begun to see her own self worth again through Dean, through the way he protected her, looked after her son.

But his soul?

"What….what does that mean? Does that mean you're going to die instead of me?"

The silence from Dean was deafening as he quietly nodded, his green eyes burning brightly and making Skye think of a tiger staring back from within a cage.

"How long?" Skye's voice was harder now, choked with emotion. " How long have we got?"

" One year."

A year? Three hundred and sixty five days? No….it wasn't enough, it wasn't right! Skye got up off the bed and suddenly started pacing, running a shaky hand through her hair over and over as she thought about what it meant. Dean was dying for her. No….not it couldn't be happening…

" Skye…." Dean went to her and stepped into her path, grabbing her gently by the arms. "Skye look at me."

" What did Connor see? " Skye asked suddenly, her face paling. " Oh god, Dean, please tell me he didn't see me dead. Please…he's just a baby…"

" Take it easy…Connor thought you were asleep, that's all. I told him you were under a spell and that I knew a fairy who could wake you up." Dean explained.

" A fairy? Dean, are you out of your mind??"

" Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Dean frowned, offended.

Skye growled, a sound that had Dean blinking in sheer surprise before she slapped him. Hard. Twice in fact before Dean managed to catch her by the wrist as she went for a third blow.

" Skye, what the hell?"

"How could you, Dean?! How the hell could you tell a little boy that? What were you thinking??"

It was Dean's turn to be angry then, rising to his own defence. "I was thinking that it was better than telling him the truth, Skye! I was trying not to break his heart!"

Skye choked out a bitter laugh that evolved into a sob, her throat locking up, her chest aching so much that it felt like her heart was going to be crushed within her. " God dammit, Dean….and what happens when you die? How do I explain to him that the fairy can't save _you? _How do I explain you not waking up? You're the closest thing he's ever had to a father…more than his own father. How do you think he's going to take it when you die?"

Dean felt his own throat lock, the air suddenly too thick to breath, his head starting to pound. It had seemed like the perfect idea, telling Connor that story. But Dean hadn't thought beyond that moment. He was too used to reacting and dealing with the consequences later….but this? He looked over to the bed, watching Connor sleeping before he turned back to Skye. " He'll understand when the time comes. I've got a whole year, babe…."

"And what about me, Dean?" Skye's voice was soft and heartbroken, tears coursing down her face and blurring her vision. "How am I supposed to understand? A year's not enough, Dean. It's not enough…"

Dean pulled Skye into his arms, holding her close as she began to sob, her body shaking with grief. He stroked her hair and whispered to her softly. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry. I had to. I couldn't lose you. I just couldn't. Don't be mad with me…please."

Skye pulled back and looked at Dean, cupping her hands to his face. " I am mad with you. I'm downright pissed with you, Dean." She paused, watching the pain in his eyes before she spoke again. " There has to be a way to save you…and we're going to find it. Because I'm not letting you go either. You hear me?"

Dean was surprised by the quiet determination he heard in Skye's voice and he leaned into her touch, feeling like he was home. One year wasn't enough….but it gave him this moment and for Dean, that was worth the price already.


	8. Judas

_A/N: Okay, finally, an update for you all! I'm not entirely happy with all of this chapter, but it happens. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it and never fear, I am starting on the next chapter this weekend too. And as always...the hugest of thanks to LovinJackson and Deb for their feedback as I wrote this. Love ya guys!_

_"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, 'What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?' And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him." — Matthew 26:14-16_

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Sleep wasn't something that Sam found easy at the best of times and the night before had certainly rated pretty freaking high on his Shit Happens scale. Nightmares had haunted him. Horrid visions of his brother burning in Hell, broken and twisted at Sam's feet while he was crowned as the new King with a crown made out of the bones of infants. His father crucified, wings blazing….

It had woken Sam in a cold sweat, his body trembling, his mind needing a few moments to discern nightmare from reality. Elise had been curled into him, one arm slid across his chest almost possessively. Her touch when she had tended to his wound, was so soft and gentle. It was a touch Sam had begun to crave. Her presence so soothing, so comforting. An oasis in a world gone mad.

But Sam wasn't stupid. He'd seen the fear in Elise's eyes. He knew she was starting to feel out of her depth with everything that had happened and he could hardly blame her. There were so many times he had felt the same way when he was younger, wondering why he had to live this life when others could be normal?

There was nothing normal now about the world. They'd stopped Hell from unleashing, but it was still battle scarred and broken. Communications were severed, cities burning. It would take a long time to rebuild things and Sam knew that mean that Elise was stranded here, away from her family. He had to protect her. Make sure she would be able to defend herself if he wasn't around…..not that Elise hadn't already proven she could handle herself.

The sun had crept over the horizon an hour ago and Sam had left the motel room to sit outside on the hood of the Impala, looking out at the sunrise and listening to the silence that had soaked into the town nearby. It was a moment of peace he needed after the fight.

The strong, enticing scent of coffee filled the air and he turned to find Elise beside him, offering a large motel property mug of coffee to him. "Thought you could do with some heart starter this morning. It's only instant though."

"Thanks." Sam ducked his head in gratitude as he took it, taking a sip and letting the acidic taste wash away the ill feelings still left from the night before. He shifted over a little and let Elise sit next to him. She had a blanket around her shoulders to combat the early morning chill and as she sat down, Elise threw half of it over Sam's shoulders and slid up closer.

It was a bold move for her and it drew a smile from Sam as he watched Elise staring out at the morning around them. " Anyone else awake yet?"

" That Andy guy is snoring up a storm in there. I think your Dad was getting ready to smother him with a pillow before Connor wandered out. Now they're watching movies on the laptop." Elise informed him, grinning. "Although your Dad's pretty damn good at snoring too…"

Sam laughed. "Yeah, those wings kept him from getting comfortable. Maybe we need to get a swing and a bell?"

Elise had just taken a sip of her coffee and she coughed hard, trying not to choke. She shot Sam a playful glare until he patted her back to soothe her coughing. "You're making the next bloody coffee for that little stunt, mate. And you can rustle up some breakfast for us too."

Sam quirked an eyebrow, a bemused smile appearing. "Oh really? I've got a better idea…how about we go out back and I give you some lessons on how to handle a gun? I mean, you did a great job with that girl from what you told me last night, but it wouldn't hurt for you to have some more practice. You game?"

From a rooftop nearby, a dark figure watched the pair through a telescopic sight on his rifle. All he had to do was squeeze the trigger and Sam Winchester's head would disappear in a spray of red, like a water balloon exploding.

His companion was crouched next to him. "What are you waiting for? Take the shot."

"No." Gordon Walker lowered his rifle, running the back of his hand across his brow. "It's too easy. I want Sam to feel some of the pain he's inflicted on this world when he opened that Hellgate. Then I'll take him out."

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Skye had been awake for the past two hours. Connor had crawled out of bed to go look for his "Poppy" over an hour ago, but Skye couldn't bring herself to move. Dean was spooned in behind her, his arm draped over her stomach, his face buried in her hair. Skye felt so warm, so safe in his arms right now. She didn't want to wake him and lose this moment, every minute with Dean suddenly seeming so very precious. Irreplaceable.

Dean had held her until she fell asleep, humming Metallica to her and promising that everything would be alright, she just had to trust him. And Skye did. More than anyone she had ever known in her life. It was unbearable to imagine losing him, so instead, Skye forced the thought away and snuggled in deeper against Dean, her body melting into his like two halves of a locket being rejoined.

A smile crossed her lips when a moment later, Dean's hand moved from her stomach, sliding slowly up her body until it was cupping one breast. His lips caressed her ear, sending butterflies through Skye's stomach and she let out a small frustrated groan. "Stop that….we can't."

"Who says?" Dean's voice was warm and husky in her ear.

Skye felt her resolve wavering for a moment. "Your Dad's in the next room with Connor. It'd feel weird."

"They'll never know…." Dean promised, the gravel in his voice sending a rush through Skye. His hand was sweeping up and down her side, fingertips ghosting over her skin and making her break out in goose bumps.

"Dean….we can't…"

His hand stopped for a moment, resting on Skye's hipbone as he whispered again in her ear. "Later? We'll get our own room?"

Skye rolled over in his arms, locking eyes with those dazzling green orbs of Dean's, her smile becoming seductive along with her voice. "Now that sounds like a plan…."

Dean leaned in and began to kiss down along Skye's neck, burning a trail across her skin as she arched her back and sighed in pleasure. After a moment, Skye pulled away. "Later…. Right now we need to go get Connor some breakfast. I'm starving."

Strong arms stopped her from getting too far as Dean leaned in again, capturing her lips with his, his tongue parting them and exploring. Skye moaned into the kiss her hands sliding across Dean's bare chest before she reluctantly pulled away again. " Dean, breakfast? I'm hungry."

" So am I…" He rumbled huskily in Skye's ear. He sat back, looking mildly affronted as Skye giggled. " What?"

" You do realise you sounded like a porn star? Any minute now you'll be asking to clean ze pool." Skye laughed, putting on a terrible accent.

Her laughter exploded a moment later as Dean started tickling her. " Porn star, huh? You mocking my skills?"

Skye tried to wriggle out of his grasp as Dean's hands mercilessly grabbed at her knees and the soft skin above her thigh until she was breathless. Then Dean pulled her close and ran his lips down her neck, nipping and biting with the utmost care, listening to the reaction he was getting from Skye as she all but purred and melted in his arms. How she could have even contemplated putting him off until later, was a complete mystery to Skye as his hands roamed over her body in synch with his lips.

One hand slid under her panties and slid them down before Skye rolled towards him, feeling his own body already well and truly reacting to her. She placed her hands on his shoulders and got Dean to lie on his back, reaching down to slide off his boxers with Dean's help, before she climbed on top and just sank down onto him.

Dean let out a deep, low animal rumble that travelled right through his chest. This felt so good, so right. His hands moved up to cup Skye's breasts as he rocked his hips and buried himself in her with each thrust. Watching every single expression on Skye's face as she rode him, her eyes locked on his. Dean was well aware of how thin the walls were, that Dad would be able to hear them….and he didn't care. Some small, silly teenage part of his brain was thrilled by the idea, but mostly, he was just all too happy to lose himself in the moment. Lose himself in this beautiful woman that was so willing to give herself to him, body and soul. Her life, her son…she wanted to share it all with him and let Dean have what he thought was never meant to be his. He was willing to die for this, because just for the chance to touch that life, to have a taste of it….was worth it to him.

Leaning forward, Skye captured Dean's mouth as she continued to rock her hips, meeting every thrust of Dean's with one of her own. The pace building as her body began to tremble, feeling that horizon rushing closer, knowing she was going to tumble over the abyss and needing it so badly, that it brought tears to her eyes. Dean's hands gripped her hips, keeping her grounded as his thrusts became faster, harder, in perfect synch with Skye as his body joined hers, his eyes squeezed shut, a quiet growl of sheer pleasure escaping him as he came.

Skye stayed were she was for a moment, her hands cupping his face and just watching him, before she slipped off and curled up beside him, her head on Dean's chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was so strong, so powerful beneath her. Like listening to the heart beat of a wild horse. Her hand slid over the top of it, resting there beside her cheek and just feeling the life within Dean.

No matter what it took, Skye would hold onto this.

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If anyone had ever told John Winchester that he would have sat through something like this…and enjoyed it? He would have thought they were insane. Hell, maybe he was getting soft in his old age? Or maybe it was as simple as being drawn back to a time when things had been simple and John had no bigger concerns than his weekly pay check, making Mary happy and spending time with his sons.

" Again, Poppy? Play again?" Connor asked, holding John's hands with his own as he sat on John's lap. The little boy had a huge smile on his face as John leaned forward and hit play on the video. John had no real idea who these "Wiggles" were beyond a few songs that had been drummed into him while Dean had been in his coma…but Connor sure seemed to love them. John on the other hand, wasn't entirely sure if four grown men in coloured skivvies dancing with a guy with a feather sword, was the right sort of thing for Connor to be watching?

Connor started to act out the actions of the song, using John's hands as he tried to sing along with the words.

Skye opened the bedroom door quietly and saw the scene unfolding before her. It stole her breath and she signalled Dean to come and look, moving aside so he could peek through the door. He gave her a puzzled look, then turned to peer through the door…and found his throat closing up as he was confronted by a sight he knew all too well….from his own childhood. Dean could recall sitting on his father's lap, with those huge hands all calloused and stained from working in the garage every day. John would let him count his fingers or play This Little Piggy and tickle Dean until he was out of breath. It was one of the things Dean missed desperately after the fire. His father had lost that side of himself, too buried in grief and anger.

Too see it again, caused Dean's throat to close up, an ache to set into his chest. For all the times his father had been forced to push them hard, to be a marine and make sure they would survive the next hunt. It was heartening to see the man his father had once been, wasn't lost after all.

It seemed so wrong to break up the moment, but now they had gotten out of bed, both Dean and Skye was starving. A breakfast hunt was definitely on the agenda. Clearing his throat, Dean opened the door properly and stepped out with Skye. He was pleased to see his father's smile, even if he did look like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. " I was wondering when you two were getting up?"

Dean scratched the back of his head and chuckled quietly, wondering if his father had actually heard them? " Yeah…well, we…uhhh, thought we'd take Connor for a walk and see if we could find some breakfast in town. That is, if you can tear yourself away from the Wiggles?" He couldn't help but smirk at his father.

"Should I be worried that you actually know who these guys are, Dean?" John retorted, grinning as he saw the smirk fade from his son's face. He gently lifted Connor off his lap and onto the floor, then got up off the bed and stretched, his wings unfurling fully. Grabbing a pillow from the bed, he pitched it at Andy, who was snoring wetly on the opposite bed. The younger man shot upright like he'd been struck with electricity, rubbing at his eyes before he gave everyone in the room a sheepish grin. "Hey…sorry, was I snoring?"

Skye looked at though she had seen a ghost, the bloody draining from her face, before it filled with fury. " You! What the hell are you doing here?" Skye looked at John. "What is he doing here? He's one of them! He's no better than the rest of them!"

Skye lunged for Andy. " You forced me to open that gate! You made me do it!"

" Whoa, whoa…." Dean grabbed Skye by the waist and held her back. " Okay, time out, babe…come on." He pulled her across the motel room while Andy skittered back across the bed away from Skye, his hands raised defensively. Connor scrambled up into John's arms, frightened by his mother's sudden display of anger.

" Let me go, Dean! He was inside my head!" Skye raged, fighting against Dean with a strength that surprised him. "I trusted him! You were supposed to be on my side!" Skye yelled over Dean's shoulder at Andy. "How about you let me crawl around in your head for a while, huh? Make you do something against your will!"

" Skye! Skye! Leave it!" Dean was still holding her back with everything he had. Man, it was like trying to hold onto a freaking wildcat! Skye kept twisting and struggling, her eyes dark with rage…darker than Dean had ever seen. "Skye! You're scaring Connor!"

Like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, Skye stopped, the rage dying away as she looked towards Connor and saw him clinging to John, terrified. What the hell was she thinking? Scaring her son like that?

" I…I only did it to save you…" Andy was babbling quietly. He went silent the moment Dean turned and looked at him, sinking back further towards the corner of the room.

"Just leave it, Andy. You did what you had to. We get it. Doesn't mean Skye's gonna like it anytime soon and it sure as hell doesn't mean I will either. But we get it." Dean informed the smaller man. He turned back to Skye, seeing her still fixated on Andy and snapping his fingers in front of her face. " Hey…..hey!"

Skye turned her attention to Dean, her eyes still stormy but fear was hiding in there too and Dean knew he had to get Skye out of the room there and then. " Come on. Breakfast, remember? There's gotta be something in this town to eat…" He held Skye's hand firmly in his, leading her towards the door. John stepped forward, Connor reaching out towards Dean and wrapping his little arms around Dean's neck, hugging tightly.

"We'll be back." Dean stated, looking back at Andy. "Probably best if you're not here when that happens, Andy." He understood that Andy wasn't one of the bad guys. But that didn't change the fact Skye was scared of him and Dean couldn't blame her. He'd wanted to kill Andy himself, when he heard that Andy was forcing Skye to open the gate. But Dean didn't want to deal with that right now. He didn't want to do anything other than find something to eat and spend time with Connor and Skye. Something nice and normal for once.

John waited until Dean, Skye and Connor were gone, before he started to pack away the laptop, keeping himself occupied while Andy composed himself again. "Dean's right, Andy. I know you didn't ask for any of this, but right now, I have to take care of my family and Skye is part of that. It's best if you didn't stay around."

"Yeah…yeah, sure." Andy nodded, still a bundle of nervous energy, like a Yorkie pup that had been kicked. He headed for the door, when he was stopped by John blocking his escape.

" Wait." John intoned, watching as Andy stepped back nervously. "You were the reason Dean was able to connect with Skye while she was missing aren't you?"

"It's…It's kinda my trick. I can get into people's heads. Make them do things even. " Andy looked away, still upset by what Skye had said.

"You helped Dean that night. I owe you for that and for coming to help me and Sam. You didn't have to try and help Skye. But you did and that tells me a lot about the measure of a man. So if you need help, need anything, you contact me. Alright? Just because that yellowed eyed bastard cut you lose, it doesn't mean you have to deal alone." John explained, before he stepped aside. " Just keep that in mind."

" Seriously??" Andy was smiling now. "Wow…just…wow, thanks, dude. You won't regret it. I promise. I'm…I'm gonna get going now. Hit the road and hide out for a while. But thanks…really."

John nodded to the younger man and watched as he left the motel room. It couldn't hurt to gather as many allies as they could now the world was still full of demons. He hoped Andy would be alright.

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"So!" Dean clapped his hands together as they walked into town, a wide grin on his face, apparently more than happy with how his day was going so far. " Since we're spoilt for choice….what would like for breakfast?"

Skye laughed, her mood considerably brighter now that she was out of the motel room and alone with Dean. Connor was walking beside her, his hand clutching tightly at hers, looking up at both Dean and Skye from time to time, a smile on his face at the sound of his mom's laughter. It felt so normal, a million years away from the horrors of the night before. Skye could just forget everything that had happened and simply tell herself she was just out with the man she loved and her son. Something people did all the time. Safe, normal, fun.

Reaching out, Skye slid her hand into Dean's, feeling how big and strong it felt wrapped around hers. The perfect hand. The smile that was gracing her lips caught Dean's attention and he gently nudged her as they walked. "You're not thinking about Brad Pitt are you?"

"Brad? Not my type." Skye answered easily, catching the way Dean was watching her. It was something Skye had been aware of for a while now. The way Dean was always watching the people he cared for. In subtle ways. Maybe without even realising he was doing it? He was just always on guard, always on watch. Skye always felt safe and protected with Dean beside her and she knew it had always been the same with Sam. "So…who was that girl last night? The one you left Connor with?"

" Elise? She's with Sam."

" With Sam? As in…_with _Sam?" Skye asked, surprised and pleased too. She wanted to see him happy. He had become more of a brother to her than her own siblings had ever been.

Dean looked at Skye as though she was crazy. "Skye, this is Sam we're talking about…you could hit the guy in the head with a playboy bunny and he wouldn't know what to do with her."

Skye slapped Dean's shoulder playfully. " Be nice! He might just surprise you, one day."

" He'd better…it's not like I haven't tried to impart some brotherly wisdom on him about women." Dean nodded knowingly.

"Oh really?" Skye smiled, arching an eyebrow. "Had a lot of experience have we?"

Dean blanched suddenly. " What? No! --…."

"So you're still a novice then?"

" No!"

" Well which one is it then?" Skye asked sweetly.

" I'm just say--….wait, you're playing me." Dean narrowed his eyes at Skye as she began to laugh.

"Like a fiddle, babe." Skye drew Dean in for a soft, sweet kiss, still giggling as she pulled away. "You just bite way too easily."

Dean slung his arm around Skye's shoulders, holding her close. "You keep that up and you'll find out just where I can bite." He copped a slap to the chest as Skye shot him a playful look. " Hey, watch it. Little ears are listening, you know!"

Looking down at Connor, Dean bent over and picked the little boy up. "Your Mom's right, buddy. You've gotta at least know what a girl is before you can listen to this sort of a conversation.."

Connor nodded as though he had learnt an important lesson, even though he had absolutely no idea what Dean was talking about. " Bekky now? I'm hungry."

"What about that place?" Skye nudged Dean gently and pointed out a small café across the street. " Maybe their fridges are still running? The food might be okay?"

" It looks as good as any place. " Dean agreed. He was about to settle Connor in his arms better, when out of the corner of one eye, Dean caught movement behind them. Someone was slowly creeping up between the two stores they were standing in front of. Without saying a word, Dean handed Connor to Skye, the pair exchanging a look that told Skye to back away.

Moving silently, Dean crept up to the edge of the alleyway, keeping Skye and Connor behind him as he drew his .45 out of the back of his jeans. Skye had given him a funny look earlier as he had taken the gun, but Dean never went anywhere unarmed…and this was a prime example of why. Their mystery stalker appeared from the side of the store and Dean was on the move, grabbing them by the front of their shirt and slamming them against the wall. He jammed his gun under the person's jaw.

" Wait! Wait! Dean, it's me! It's Jo Harvelle!"

Dean lowered the gun, shocked to think he had been ready to pull the trigger. "Jo? What the hell? I could have killed you! What the hell were you thinking, sneaking around like that?"

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John found the parking lot deserted hen he stepped out of the motel room. Andy had left in his car and only the Impala was left sitting there now. He ran his hand over the front fender, making a mental note to fix the damage that had been done a few days before when they had been on the run from the farm. John would never forget the terror he felt in Connor as they had fallen from the sky. He wanted the boy to grow up in a world where he didn't have to worry about demons. Something his own boys had never known…

Unfolding his wings to the their full span, John took a moment to stretch them, pleased to see that the damage from the day before was healed. There was still some stiffness within the wings and he knew he had fresh scars under his shirt from his tangle with the fence the night before.

There were two empty coffee cups sitting on the ground in front of the Impala, and John looked around again, wondering where Sam and Elise had gone. Maybe they'd gone to find some breakfast with Dean and Skye?

Figuring he would leave them to have some time to relax, John took a couple of running steps and launched into the air, his huge black wings lifting him rapidly until the town was far below him.

The sense of freedom, the sheer joy John felt as being able to just sail on the air currents, was incredible. The higher he flew, the closer he felt to Mary and that envoked such warm feelings within that John could have stayed up there forever.

He banked and rolled, his smile huge as his wings beat against the air to help him pick up speed before he dived into a loop the loop, laughing. John wondered what his boys would have thought if they could see him at that moment? He would have to let Dean know how it felt for sure.

Banking again to the right, he headed back out towards the pioneer cemetery to check that the Hell gate was still sealed. It was important for Sam and Dean to take time out with the girls and just relax, connect and be normal for a moment…John would give them that time and space.

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Dean released Jo and tucked his gun back into his jeans. "What the hell are you doing here, Jo?"

"I was looking for you and Sam, thought you might need some back up." Jo explained, straightening out her shirt as she scowled at Dean. "I heard about the Hell Gate, figured you and your brother would have to be at ground zero."

"You came alone?"

"Well, yeah…" Jo looked at Dean as though he was insane to think otherwise. "Ever since everything went down, there's hardly any hunters left. The Roadhouse got burnt to the ground. We're outnumbered these days, Dean."

"The Roadhouse burnt down? Is…your mom okay? Ash?" Dean felt a hand on his arm and saw that Skye had stepped up beside him. "Jo, this is Skye and Connor. Jo's Mom runs….used to run Harvelle's Roadhouse."

" I've heard of it." Skye nodded. "Bobby checked there for me a few times after you and Sam went off the radar. Is your Mom okay?" Skye asked Jo. She hated to think of anyone dying in a fire. It had let Dean scarred for life and Skye carried her own mental scarring from Jason's spirit trying to kill her and Connor by fire.

" Yeah, she's fine. She's with Ash at a hunter's home over in Nebraska with Ash, Bobby and Missouri. I got itchy feet, so I thought I'd come and see if I could find you…. Guess I did." Jo gave Dean a playful, teasing grin that instantly had Skye's hackles rising. " So…where were you headed?"

" The café over there." Dean nodded in the general direction. " Thought we'd check it out, see if we can maybe find something for breakfast."

"Well if you don't mind me tagging along, I'll see if I can get the coffee machine running?" Jo offered. "Maybe even make a milkshake for the little guy?"

Dean glanced at Skye, then shrugged his shoulders, figuring there was no harm in the offer. While he may not have parted on the best of terms with Jo last time, he knew she would have understood why, if even she hadn't liked it. "Sounds good. Let's do it."

Jo grabbed Dean by the sleeve of his jacket and dragged him gently towards the café, asking about how Sam was, had he gotten over that possession? Why hadn't Dean called her? Skye bristled even more listening to the conversation, wondering just who the hell this girl thought she was? Shifting Connor to her hip, Skye followed Dean and Jo across the road to the café, feeling a little like an outsider all of a sudden.

The café door was unlocked, but nothing that a couple of solid kicks from Dean couldn't solve. The town had an old world charm about it. Obviously crime hadn't been an issue here and the locks on most of the places were more for show, than anything else. The café itself was still set up from the last closing time. Chairs were sat on tables, everything ready for when the owners would have come in. Skye momentarily wondered if the owners were even alive now? Or had they simply fled when things started getting bad?

Finding a highchair stacked in a corner, Skye set about putting it near a table and strapping Connor into it. The little boy kicked his feet happily as Skye planted a kiss to his forehead. " No you sit there, okay? I'll find you something to eat.."

Dean had already made his way into the back, scoping out the kitchen and making sure that there was no surprises, no bodies, lying back there. Once he was satisfied that it was safe, he started to dig through the cupboards and fridge. There were two cartons of milk in the fridge. The first one he smelt, had well and truly turned. Dean jerked his head back with a hiss of disgust and quickly closed the lid back again, then dumped the carton in the trash. The second one was still good however and Dean sat it aside while he continued his search.

"So where is Sam? He's usually about two steps behind you." Jo called from where she was setting up the coffee machine and making Connor the promised milkshake. Every so often, Jo glanced over her shoulder, keeping an eye on Skye and Dean. They were preoccupied with looking for food, giving her the perfect chance to do what needed to be done…..

"Sam? He's around…" Dean called back distractedly as he dug through a cupboard.

Just when it looked like Dean and Skye were going to have to try and make pancakes from scratch or possibly some weird ass concoction from the contents of the fridge, Dean discovered a box of Cheerios stashed away in the back of the shop pantry.

He poured a bowl for Connor, then one for himself, carrying the two bowls out to the table and sitting down next to Connor, handing the little boy his breakfast and a spoon. Skye watched the pair from the counter, noting the faces Dean was pulling at her son with each mouthful and how Connor was copying as best he could. The pair of them were complete goofballs. It was the sort of scene Skye had always envisioned sharing with Jason….until he had ruled himself out of the fatherhood stakes, even before his murder.

Skye was glad to have Dean around to make Connor laugh. To give him that male role model to look up to….although watching Dean racing him to finish his bowl of Cheerios first, she wasn't quite sure who exactly was the child there.

"Hey, you want to give me a hand?"

Skye turned, seeing Jo holding a tray out towards her. " Sure…what do you need?"

"If you can carry the coffees, I'll carry the milkshake for…is it Connor?" Jo asked, glancing towards Dean and Connor.

" Yeah, it's Connor."

" Cute kid."

" Thanks." Skye answered warily. She could see that Jo was trying to break the ice. "So you know Dean well?"

"Well enough, I guess. My father hunted with John when I was a little girl. Dean and Sam have been the Roadhouse a few times while on hunts. I even went on one with them once."

" Lucky you…" Skye muttered quietly, before she attempted to give Jo a smile. What the hell was wrong with her? There was no reason to be jealous of Jo at all, but Skye couldn't help herself. Especially with some girl that Dean hadn't even mentioned before. Giving herself a mental shake. Skye reminded herself to be mature and tried to be genuinely nice with Jo. "So you're a hunter too?"

" Not really. I tried…wanted to be like my Dad after he died. But Mom was dead set against it. So I left home, got some bar work instead. Then everything went to hell…" Jo stated simply. She placed two coffees on the table and gave Skye a smile. "Okay…that's it, I've got the rest. You go ahead."

" Uh, okay…sure." Skye was a little thrown by the way Jo was acting. How the hell was she able to be so casual? Maybe it came from being raised with a father for a hunter? Dean and Sam seemed to take a lot of things in their side that would shake up most people.

Carrying the tray over, Skye put the coffees down on the table, sliding one over to Dean before she took a seat beside him.

"Here we go, little guy…one chocolate milkshake for you." Jo placed the drink in front of the little boy and sat down. She watched quietly as Connor grabbed the glass, popped the straw in his mouth and began drinking, making happy little noises of enjoyment.

Dean echoed the noises a moment later as he took a mouthful of coffee. Skye gave him a "you can't be serious" look and nudged him gently in the ribs, smiling. Her grin grew ever wider as Dean looked back with a mock indignant look. "What? I haven't a decent coffee in ages!"

"You two are completely hopeless…" Skye laughed, drinking her own coffee. " I would have to agree though, this is damn good coffee, Jo."

" Thanks…" Jo was sat back watching it all unfold in front of her, finding herself growing more and more jealous with each passing moment as she saw the way Dean was with Skye. So at ease, affection clearly showing in his eyes. Affection he had never shown Jo. Dean had never even called her back after she was taken hostage by Sam…or whatever the hell was inside Sam. Jo wasn't even sure she believed there was something inside of Sam. Everything she had been told recently told her otherwise. It told her that Sam wasn't on their side to begin with. Did Dean know? Would he care even if he did know? Jo had seen the loyalty Dean had for his brother and it worried her that he was so ready to defend Sam, no matter what.

There was a sudden clatter as the glass Connor had been drinking from toppled off the highchair and hit the floor, milkshake spraying out all over the place. Skye frowned, seeing her son suddenly starting to slide sideways in his highchair. " Connor?"

When Connor didn't respond, but merely slid further to the side, Skye was on the move in a panic. She leapt up from her chair, rushing to her son and gently cupping his face in her hands. " Connor? Connor…wake up, little man…Connor?" Spinning towards Dean, seriously frightened now, Skye suddenly found the entire room skewing to one side. She dropped to one knee drunkenly, blinking as she found her vision swimming in and out of focus. "Dean…..?"

" What the hell?" Dean tried to get to his feet, smashing against the table hard and discovering his sense of balance was gone. The table toppled over as Dean crashed to the floor, already seeing Skye sliding to the floor, unconscious. The coffee? Jo had put something in the coffee? He tried to look for the blonde betrayer, wanting to know why? Furious that he had trusted her. Was it possession? All sorts of fears rushed through Dean's mind as he struggled to try and pull out his gun from his jeans. He tore it free, only to find his hand, his whole arm, felt like it was made of lead. The gun slipped from his fingers as Dean faceplanted. His last thought, was that he should been on guard more. He had let down Skye and Connor….


	9. Bloodying The Waters

_A/N: Well what do you know? I updated a little sooner this time. LOL As always, huge thanks to LovinJackson and Deb for putting up with my constant questions and worrying about things. Without you guys, this part wouldn't be as good. Also, I have a dear friend who has recently put her first Supernatural fic on here...go check it out, leave her some love. The story is looking awesome already. You can find it at h t t p:// w w w. f a n f i c t i o n. n e t / s / 4 0 9 7 9 9 8/ 1 put all that together for it to work of course. I also have a new vid up at Youtube...my account link is in my bio section. _

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The cans and bottles were all sat neatly in a line along the fence. Sam was sat at a reasonable distance from them, checking over his gun, making sure that nothing would jam or misfire. Not that he expected it too. Dad and Dean had both drummed gun safety and maintenance into him from a young age, even when Dad had to help Sam lift it and hold the thing steady. It was ingrained in him now…but still, he checked and double checked.

Because he wasn't the one firing it today. It was Elise and Sam wanted to be sure it would safe for her.

" You know, you've checked that at least a dozen times now, Sam." Elise smiled. She was sat a few feet from Sam on the grass, idly making a daisy chain with the wild flowers around her and thinking how funny it was that she hadn't done anything like that since she was a kid.

" I know. I just want to be sure, that's all."

" Mate, if you're any surer about it? We'll be collecting pensions before I get to fire off a round." Elise laughed, slipping one daisy chain over her wrist, before getting to her feet and taking Sam's hand, slipping a daisy chain over his wrist.

Sam gave Elise a bemused smile, holding up his wrist. "What's this?"

" A Daisy chain, what does it look like?"

" I meant, why am I wearing one?"

"What? Too much of a tough guy to been seen wearing such a bold fashion statement?" Elise placed her hands her hips, a teasing smile on her face.

Sam felt his face growing hot. "No! No…that's not what I…" His sentence died off as he saw Elise clamp a hand over her mouth, fighting to contain her laughter. "And you're totally fooling around with me, aren't you?"

Elise nodded, laughter peppering her words as she spoke, " I couldn't resist…" She reached out to take the daisy chain from Sam's wrist, smiling at how tiny it looked there. It came as a surprise, when Sam pulled his hand away and took a step, smiling.

"I never said I was going to going to take it off. Now you ready to show me how you handle a gun?"

Elise looked up at Sam and held out her hand for the gun. "If you've finished checking it?"

"Oh, ha ha. Now the safety is on, but be careful." Sam told her as he handed it over. Elise made sure she was gripping it properly as she turned to face the fence. She tried to hold the gun up one handed, standing side on in a classic movie pose. Sam couldn't help but smile, seeing how the gun was wavering due to its weight.

"Here. Let me help…" Sam stepped up behind Elise, turning her slightly until she was face on with her target. He slid her other arm up, so she had one hand holding the gun, the other was cupped underneath for support. Standing in that position, Sam had his hands still on Elise's, his body pressed against hers. She smelt softly of strawberry body lotion and vanilla scented shampoo, distracting Sam immensely as he found himself thinking about running his fingers through her short hair and over her body. With a mental kick, he brought himself back to the task at hand.

Sam leaned in closer, so that he was speaking quietly into Elise's ear. "Alright, the safety is on the side here. Now when you're ready, flick that off and gently squeeze the trigger."

Elise found it hard to concentrate with Sam so close to her. He was so warm and she couldn't help but feel safe and secure with his arms around her. Did he know he had this effect on her? Elise was sure Sam didn't…and it only made him more appealing. There was no doubt in Elise's mind that Dean would have played this moment up completely, taking advantage of his proximity. That was the difference with these brothers that Elise had quickly picked up on and it was what had drawn her to Sam in the first place. No matter what she had seen before, how much of the darker side of Sam she had seen…she had seen this side of him underneath it all.

"Hey…earth to Elise? You okay? If you're nervous…we can do this another time?"

Elise was pulled from her thoughts, her face flushing red. " No…I'm good. Sorry, I kind of vagued out there for a minute. So I just squeeze the trigger?" The gun jumped slightly in her hands and on the fence line, a bottle shattered.

Elise let out a squeal of delight and bounced lightly on the ball of her heels. " I did it!! Bloody hell!! Did you see that!!"

Sam laughed, his arms still around Elise. "You're a natural." His gaze met Elise's as she turned in his arms and looked up at him, the pair holding the look for several heartbeats before Sam cupped a hand to Elise's cheek and leaned in, his lips brushing Elise's softly….

Her heart was racing instantly, but even more so when Sam suddenly let out a gasp of pain, buckling at the knees and curling into himself as he hit the grass.

"Sam! Sam, what is it? What's wrong?" Elise knelt on the ground and pulled Sam to her, cradling his head in her lap, stroking his hair and trying not to panic. "Sam?"

Sam couldn't answer Elise. His head was feeling like it was being crushed, white hot pain ripping through it as he shivered, gritting his teeth against the pain. All he could see in his mind's eye, was Dean tied to a chair, bleeding and screaming in pain……

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The cemetery was deceivingly quiet now. Seemingly at peace again. John had made several sweeps of the place, banking and rolling, enjoying the chance to truly spread his wings and cover some ground. It brought home to him how much he had missed the damn things when they had been torn off his back. The itchiness, the uncomfortableness that had plagued him over the last few days as his wings had regrown, was gone and John felt like he was himself again. It was a strange realisation that the wings really were a part of him now, but one that John was willing to accept.

The bodies of Jake, Ava and Lily were laid out in a shallow grave that John had dug. He would have to go back to the motel to get some salt and lighter fluid shortly. They may have been the enemy, but John knew if things had played out differently, his own son could have been one of these bodies. These kids hadn't been truly evil….just misled and John wanted to make sure they were properly at rest. Their families deserved that much.

Approaching the Hell Gate, John's eyes scanned every inch, even seam and hinge; making sure it was truly locked and shut. Even now, standing before the gate as it lay quiet, he could sense the power behind those doors. It called to him, thrummed through his veins with each beat of his heart. It was a weird sensation, part dread at the memory of the suffering he had been through, the things he had seen….and part longing to return. Hell could get under your skin, into your veins like a sickness that you would never shift and he prayed that Dean could be saved before he tasted that darkness too.

Dean had no idea of what he had done. No one could unless you had tasted Hell for real. The agony, the torment, feeling them slowly strip away everything that made you who you were and taking from you every memory, every emotion and thought you cherished. Tainting them, twisting them. John's fists clenched at his side as he thought about his son being faced with that. Forced into it to save the woman he loved.

It was a decision the boy should have never have had to make and it only made John even more determined to make Azazel suffer for the heartbreak and pain the demon had inflicted on his family. Especially now that his boys finally had another chance at the life and love that had been robbed of them all those years before. John owed it to Mary to make sure his boys had that chance.

Footsteps crunched behind John and he spun quickly, his hand already going to the gun in his belt, his wings snapping out to stabilise him, making him even more imposing than John Winchester already knew how to be . But the figures behind him weren't the enemy….

" You trying to give a man a goddamn heart attack, John?" Bobby growled, his arm still held out behind him, keeping Missouri shielded. His lowered his arm and she stepped around, concern clearly evident on her face. " Where are the boys, John?"

" Why? What's wrong? What are you two doing here?"

"Gordon Walker's hunting the boys, John. Stupid single minded son of bitch wants Sam dead. He thinks Sam's the Anti-Christ and with everything that Sam's done recently….well…you know how it looks…" Bobby ground out, hating to be the bearer of bad news. He'd drank with Gordon over the years, had watched the man let his hatred make him a liability. But Bobby had never thought it was his problem, until Gordon crossed paths with the boys and things became personal between them. The damn fool should have learnt his lesson back then, not to threaten Sam….but no, he hadn't. And now things were still escalating.

"You came all this way to warn us about Gordon Walker?" John could see there was more.

"Jo Harvelle's with him."

John felt a chill run down his spine. Jo Harvelle? The sweet kid that he'd seen so many times at the Roadhouse? The kid that had been left without a father, because Bill had been so damn eager, he'd charged in half cocked? What the hell was it with Harvelle's not using their brains? John had already been forced to lie to Ellen about the death of Bill, taking the blame and making the man sound like more of a hero than the stupid, cocky pigheaded idiot that rushed in unprepared and got himself all but gutted for his trouble. It was a death John had never forgotten, being forced to kill a man and then lie to his family about it. Losing the Harvelles as friends had cut deep.

Now Jo was following a little too closely in her father's footsteps. Charging in half cocked…spurred on by a man who was anything but stable. Just great. John didn't want another Harvelle on his conscience….

" Dean took Skye and Connor into Medicine Bow to find some food…Sam's around the motel somewhere with Elise." John was already striding towards the cemetery gates, breaking in jog as he called over his shoulder. "Meet me there…" Several short steps later, John took to the air, his wings beating hard and fast, but no where near as fast as his heart was….

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Dean couldn't quite understand why his baby brother was crying. Was he hungry? Cold? What the hell had Sammy so upset? Wait….no, something wasn't right. It wasn't Sam….Sam wasn't a baby anymore.

His head jerked up off his chest as Dean startled into half awareness, feeling like he'd sunk a case of whiskey and now the evil little sons of bitches in his head were hammering out a military tattoo on the inside of his skull. The first thing Dean realised, was that he was sitting on a wooden chair. He looked around blearily, trying to adjust his fuzzy vision and decipher what direction the crying was coming from. He let his head roll to left, following the sound as his brain struggled to piece together what had happened before. How had he gotten here? There was a deep ache building across his shoulders. Dean tried to move his arms, finding the movement restricted by what felt like thick, sticky duct tape wrapped around his wrists. Great, that was going to take the skin off when he removed it.

Feeling more awake now, Dean began to recall the diner, seeing Skye falling….

" Skye? Shit, Skye? Answer me!" Dean tried not to panic too much as everything else fell into place. He turned his head as far to the left as he could, making out the slumped form of Skye lying on the floor nearby, her hand cuffed above her to a radiator heater attached to the wall. Connor was huddled next to his mother, crying and shaking her gently.

"Mommy…Mommy wake up! Wake up!"

" Connor…hey…hey…it's okay." Dean tried to soothe the little boy, his heart racing. What if Skye wouldn't wake up? Had he sold his soul only to lose Skye anyway?

Connor let loose with a wet sniffle, then stumbled to his feet and ran over to Dean. With the ease of a freehand rock climber, Connor scrambled up Dean's legs and threw his arms around his neck, hugging tightly. He buried his face into Dean's neck, a shuddering breath rocking him.

"Shhhh, its okay, little dude. Mommy's going to be okay." Dean assured him. "But don't hug me too tight, I need to breathe."

Connor sat back a little, placing his little hands on either side of Dean's face. "Mommy get better?"

" Yeah, dude. I promise."

With a soft groan, Skye moved a little, pausing as she felt the pull against her cuffed wrist. It felt as though the top of her head would fall off if she moved too fast. Or at all. Maybe the floor would be just fine. It was cool, it was safe, she couldn't fall any further.

But as that thought occurred to her and Skye began to close her eyes again, her face still pressed to the floor, another thought slammed home like a kick to the solar plexus. "Connor! Sweetie?"

She bolted upright, hissing in pain as the cuff bit into the skin on her wrist and forced her to halt immediately to prevent her arm being bent any further in the wrong direction.

"Easy, babe, he's here. Connor's right here with me. Calm down." Dean urged, his voice thick with relief, his heart still pounding. "Hey…you with me? Skye?"

" Yeah, yeah…I hear you. Give me a minute." Skye couldn't actually remember the last time she had woken up feeling so ill. Her head was feeling like the mosh pit at a death metal concert and she was pretty sure her stomach was on a spin cycle as she carefully sat up. "You know, excuse my bluntness, Dean…but was that bitch an ex of yours? Some conquest looking for payback?"

Dean blinked in confusion for a moment, before it sank in. "Jo…" The name wasn't so much spoken as spat out in a deep, low growl. He remembered now. "She's just a friend. _Was _a friend. What the hell is she thinking? What does she get out of doing this?"

"How about the knowledge that she's saving the world?" A voice carried through from the other room.

Connor let out a whimper of fright and scrambled down from Dean, running over to his mother and hiding his face against her shoulder as Skye slid her free arm around him.

The voice was a deep male baritone that Dean instantly recognised. " Gordon…I should have known. You've still got in it in for Sam? Talk about a one track mind. I'd consider some counselling for that obsessive disorder you've got going there."

"Oh you're funny, Dean. You're a real laugh riot." Gordon smirked as he entered the room. He folded his arms and sat on the side of an armchair, studying Dean carefully. " You look good for a dead man."

Dean gave Gordon a lazy, indulgent smile as he tried to shrug his shoulders. "What can I say? Accounts of my death have been greatly exaggerated…or maybe I should go with; you can't keep a good guy down? What do you think, Skye?"

"Oh I'm kinda partial to the second one myself." Skye agreed dryly, rubbing Connor's back to soothe him as the little boy remained cuddled into her. " There seems to be a real shortage of good guys lately.." She threw Gordon a hateful look, wondering what kind of creep would be party to drugging a little boy?

"Where's your brother, Dean?"

"Around." Dean said simply.

"You really think you're in a position to be playing games?"

"Are you really that stupid, that you think I'm going to hand Sam over to you?" Dean asked. "I should have killed you last time. Would have saved me a whole grief….maybe even given me a reason to crack a beer and toast the end of your sorry ass."

Gordon was on the move at that comment, slamming a fist into his face hard enough to snap Dean's head back. Blood spilt from his nose as Dean shook himself, sucking in a sharp breath of air to combat the sudden pain.

"You keep talking like that, Dean and I might just start thinking you don't like me. I thought we had an understanding? I told you it was nothing personal…"

"You know, you keep saying that, Gordon. But you don't seem to understand that when it comes to my brother?" Dean's voice became cold. "It's extremely personal. You stay they hell away from him or I will kill you. It's that simple."

"Your brother's a killer, Dean." Gordon pointed out, wondering if this blind trust the boy had in his brother was a sign of a simple mind? Maybe Dean had been thrown into so many walls over the years that his sense of reasoning was impaired? Or maybe Dean was as twisted and corrupt at Sam now? Gordon had heard the whispers. He'd captured a demon back before the world went to shit and after a lot of hours worth of torture, Gordon had heard all about the Winchester boys. Sam's personal vendetta against everyone, Dean being brought back from the dead by demon blood. It turned his stomach to think how he had thought Dean was like him, that Dean had the same drive. The kid was weak, unable to do what was necessary to protect the world….and now he was part of the problem.

"Last I heard? So were you….or do you still think murdering Scott Carey was a good thing?'

"He was evil."

" He was freaking kid!" Dean snapped angrily. He hadn't known Scott. He hadn't known any of the demon children except for Andy and his brother…but Dean knew that whatever Scott was capable of, his blood was still on Gordon's hands and there was no way he was going to let the bastard paint that kid's death as anything but murder.

"What do you want with us?" Skye interjected, tensing up as she saw Gordon looming in towards Dean again. " Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Gordon paused and backed off from Dean again, looking at Skye. His mouth split into a wide grin as he made his way over and crouched down in front of her. "So you're the one, huh? The girl that helped bring Dean back from the dead?"

Skye lifted her chin, calmly defiant in the face of this smug evil man. "What? Was it in all the papers or something? On the eleven o'clock news?"

Gordon laughed, deep and heartily….but it never reached his eyes. "You'd be surprised what a demon will reveal when you know how to torture them. I had to get here pretty fast when I heard what was supposed to be happening here….didn't have much time to collect the necessary Intel I needed. All I knew, was that the Winchesters were gonna be involved. I just didn't know how."

Skye pressed herself back against the wall, holding Connor tightly and praying that Gordon didn't touch her son. Torture? This guy had tortured a demon to find out about them? Skye felt so very vulnerable all of a sudden. Dean was tied to a chair, he was already bleeding. If Gordon wanted to attack her, there was nothing stopping him and that created a cold pit of terror in her stomach.

Dean could see the fear creeping into Skye, watched as her whole body tensed up, her arm locking around Connor in an immovable shield against the threat before her. Flashes of memory rushed through his mind. Dean could see the pain Lenore suffered as this bastard cut her again and again. He remembered the pain he'd seen in Sam's eyes, the rage and panic he had felt when Gordon had a knife to his brother's throat.

The sheer horror and agony Dean had felt when he thought Sam had been caught in Gordon's booby-trap. Gordon hadn't cared about Dean's pain. As far as he was concerned, he'd done Dean a favour. He was putting down a dangerous animal…..and now that same, sick, twisted bastard was face to face with two people Dean loved. He had to get him away from them.

Gordon was feeding off the fear he saw in Skye's face as he leaned closer. "How about you tell me where Sam is…and I'll let you and the kid go? I mean, I've got my bait already. Dean's all I need. You're just collateral. That doesn't have to become collateral damage."

" Let her go, anyway, Gordon. She doesn't know where Sam is. Like you said, you've got me. How about you pretend to be a human being for one minute and let them go?" Dean urged, anxiously watching the other hunter. "You've only got me to deal with then…and well, I'm a handful as it is." He gave the hunter a cocky smirk.

Gordon rubbed a hand over his chin, his gaze shifting to Connor. Skye instantly tried to draw away even more with her son, watching Gordon like a hawk, ready to bite, scratch, kick…whatever she could to protect her boy. "Don't…" The word was a simple warning.

With another deep laugh, Gordon patted Skye on the cheek, grinning even more as she shrank away from his touch. He stood back up and walked away, still chuckling to himself before he paused in front of Dean, noting the younger hunter's defiant sneer as he looked at him.

"I let them go and they'll run straight to Sammy, warning him."

"It's Sam. You don't get to call him Sammy, you son of a bitch." Dean spat. He hated the sound of his brother's pet name coming out of that man's mouth.

Gordon arched an eyebrow thoughtfully for a moment and turned away, before whipping around and backhanding Dean hard enough that the chair toppled over. Dean hit the ground hard, pain exploding through his side as he connected with the floor and blossoming in his head as it rapped hard on impact. The room disappeared in a flash of white hot pain for a moment, Skye's frantic cry ringing in his ears.

Leaning over him, Gordon dug his fingers into Dean's arm and dragged him upright again, settling the chair back on four legs and grabbing Dean by the lower jaw, forcing him to look at him. "I'll call him whatever the hell I want. You and your bitch aren't going anywhere. Whatever it is Sam has planned for this world? You're in on it and I'm going to find out. One way or another."

Dean's gaze was locked with Gordon's, full of contempt and hatred for the man even as he sucked in short, sharp breaths to control the pain he was in. "Fuck you." The words were ground out as best he could with his jaw held.

Gordon released him and stepped back, appraising the situation. Dean was going to be tough to crack. He was a younger version of John and Gordon had seen the beatings that man could take and still spit in the face of his attacker. Gordon had to play this smart of he wanted to know what Sam was planning, how he was going to end the world. The Yellow Eyed Demon had chosen Sam for a reason…he'd been at the Hell Gate when it opened. There was no coincidence here.

"You know, Dean? You're right…this is personal. I'm the good guy in this movie. I'm the one that's trying to stop the world from being eaten alive by the same evil you and brother have embraced. It's not your fault. Your Daddy led you boys to this. But the fact remains…someone has to stop you." Gordon explained calmly.

"And that's you? Dude…whatever the hell you're smoking? I'd cut back before your remaining brain cell dies from lack of use. You're not Will Smith, dude, I don't care what you were told the last time you got laid."

The move was lightning fast. Skye saw Gordon reaching for his boot, saw a flash of metal…but before she could even scream, the knife was buried into Dean's thigh, all the way to the hilt. The handle was made of bone, a strange winged figure carved into it.

Dean's head rocked back, a scream of agony tearing its way out of his throat. Sweat beaded on his brow and ran down his face as Gordon kept his hand on the knife, twisting it, watching as Dean gritted his teeth and tried to choke down his cries of pain. Blood was welling up from the wound, soaking through his jeans.

"Stop it!" Skye screamed, keeping Connor turned away from the sight, feeling the little boy's terror as he shook in her embrace.

With one last spiteful twitch of the blade, Gordon grinned at Dean. "Where's that smart mouth of yours now, huh, Dean?"

"S..son…of a…b..bitch." Dean ground out, finding it hard to think past the searing pain in his leg. The wound was deep, the blade kissing bone. When -- not if, Dean didn't like dealing with ifs -- he got out of this? Gordon was going to suffer big time. Sam should have let him take the douche bag down while he had the chance. Dean wouldn't make that mistake again.

Gordon leaned in towards Dean until their faces were inches apart. He pressed his hand down on the knife and watched the pain ignite in Dean's eyes, watched how the younger hunter tried to swallow it down and keep his composure, holding Gordon's gaze as he trembled, breathing heavily through his nose.

"What's your brother planning, Dean?"

"I'll f..fucking..e..e-end you." Dean managed, his voice choked and shaky with pain.

"Cute, Dean. Acting all brave in front of your girl…" Gordon's head turned slowly, tilting to the side in almost a thoughtful manner as he looked at Skye. She was so scared. He could see it from here. Her eyes widening, her breathing become more panicked and flighty. There'd been a time when she would have been an innocent that needed his protection. But Gordon wasn't blind and he wasn't stupid. The girl had been the one to bring Dean back from the dead…and who knew what she had brought back with him? The man before Gordon now, wasn't the Dean Winchester he had drank with that night. That kid was dead. All the Winchesters were dead. These new versions were corrupted, twisted, evil.

But what did that make the woman? Was she some sort of groupie? It was possible….

"I think it's time to see what your real weakness is, Deano." Gordon smiled coldly, moving towards Skye and Connor.

"W…what? No! No, leave them alone!" Dean snarled, panic erupting within him as he thought of Skye being hurt; Connor being in danger. He rocked his chair, trying to free his hands and growling in frustration and pain.

Skye tried to curl herself around Connor, shielding him. Her heart was racing wildly in her chest and she felt like a cornered animal right now. Where the hell was Sam? Where was John? Where was the fucking cavalry when she needed them?? " You stay away from us! You stay the FUCK away from us!"

Gordon stuck like a cobra, backhanding Skye so hard, her head connected with the wall behind her. Stars exploded in her vision and for a moment, everything was just a haze of pain. Skye could taste blood in her mouth and realised she had bitten her tongue. But it was the feeling of Connor being pulled from her grasp, which set Skye off like a thermonuclear weapon. She was instantly aware again of her surroundings, her grip latching onto her son like a vice as she literally growled at Gordon, bearing her teeth and lashing out with a foot. "Let him go! Get the fuck away from him, you bastard!"

Another heavy backhand connecting with her cheek and lips, had Skye reeling in a daze, more blood filling her mouth and dripping down her chin. She slumped back against the wall, shaking her head to try and clear the fog that was rapidly filling her mind and threatening to send her into unconsciousness. No…that wasn't an option. Connor…she had to save Connor. Raising her head almost drunkenly, seeing two Gordons swirling and spinning before her, Skye's heart galloped in her chest as the emptiness of her free arm sank in. " No….please…give me…give him back…"

Gordon had the little boy firmly in his arms, backing away from both Dean and Skye. Connor was squirming and kicking, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Bad man! Bad man le' go!"

Skye rushed forward, coming up short a moment later as she reached the limit of the handcuff and crashed onto her back, feeling as though her arm had been pulled from its socket. Sobbing with pain, she struggled back to her knees, hearing Dean growling and swearing, fighting his bonds nearby as the chair rocked and clattered on the wooden floor. " Please…he's just a little boy!"

Dean's shoulders were burning from the exertion, his chest heaving, and the veins in his neck taut as he strained and struggled to free himself. Connor was reaching for him now, his big blue eyes pleading tearfully as the little boy cried. " Dee! Dee make bad man go 'way! Peeese!"

"You put him down Gordon or so help me, I won't just fucking end you. I'll make you fucking beg for a bullet to stop the pain. You hear me??! I'll tear you open you fucking gutless wonder! Leave the kid alone!" Dean couldn't even begin to think of what he would do if Gordon hurt Connor. He'd send the bastard to Hell before him, just so he could make him pay again when his deal came due.

Gordon stood watching the explosive display before him, laughing at them. It was like taunting a couple of dogs on a chain and standing just out of reach. "What the hell do you take me for? I'm not the monster here…"

With that, he walked to one of the bedrooms and dropped Connor on a bed, leaving the little boy bawling there as he closed and locked the door. He came back into the main room with a grin on his face that was pure smug satisfaction. "Relax…he's fine. I just figured it was better he wasn't a witness to what I'm going to do to you two."

He pulled up a chair in front of Dean and Skye, then reached forward and tore the knife from Dean's leg, eliciting a strangled scream of pain from him. Tapping the bloody blade against one temple, he gave them both a thoughtful look. " So….who wants to go first?"

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_A/N 2: This is just the beginning, folks! Gordon's not playing nice at all and although we didn't see her this chapter? Jo is up to her neck in it too... Hope you enjoyed!! I'll have another chapter up soon. _


	10. Vanished

_A/N: Thanks as always to LovingJackson and Deb. This fic wouldn't be anywhere near as good without you guys. _

_ xxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx_

Elise was pretty damn sure she was cursed. In some past life, she had royally pissed someone off. It was the only explanation she had for why things kept working out like this….for why every time something good was happening, something bad had to follow it. The morning had started so perfectly. Waking up beside Sam had been one of the nicest things Elise could recall feeling in a long time. Feeling so safe, secure and warm….a feeling that hadn't gone away as they shared coffee on the hood of the Impala afterwards. A feeling that had actually intensified as Sam had been teaching Elise to shoot. His arms around hers, body pressed against her. All but dwarfing her with his tall, athletic figure.

Elise had felt as thought nothing in the world could touch her…..and that was precisely when everything went to shit.

Now she was sitting on the ground, feeling the damp grass soaking into her jeans while Sam was curled up on her lap, shuddering, his lips drawn back and revealing his teeth. His eyes were squeezed shut, a gasp of pain slipping from him. Elise didn't know what to do for him, how to make the pain stop, if it was safe to move him….how she would move him? It's not like Sam was going to be easy to lift in this state. Impossible was actually the word that came to mind.

So Elise did all she could do in the circumstances. She stroked his hair and spoke to him gently, trying to assure him that she was there for him. All the while, the panic was building inside her.

Time. Time was a major issue now. Jo was watching Sam and Elise from the shadows at the back of the motel. The single row of rooms provided a satisfactory safe haven and had allowed Jo to observe the pair for the last few minutes while Sam showed Elise how to shoot. It was such a cute little scene, that Jo felt like she wanted to scratch her eyes out. Just how stupid was that girl, trusting Sam like that? The guy was a killer, he was evil…

Even if Gordon hadn't shown Jo signs of the evil Sam had become. Even if Jo hadn't been on hand herself to hear the demon Gordon had captured and tortured, spill about all the evil plans that were supposed to involve Sam….she would have known that Sam was bad news. Oh sure, the possession story had been plausible at first….until Gordon had shown up a few weeks later and opened Jo's eyes to the truth.

Jo would never forget that night in the bar, how he had so easily taken her down…would have killed her too if Dean hadn't stepped in. Now Dean was corrupted too. The boys had sided with their father and Jo was sure John had been rotten to the core for years. Why else would he have gotten her father killed? The Legendary John Winchester had walked away, but her Daddy had died.

No…Jo knew the truth. John Winchester had been corrupted years before and now he had taken his boys down with him.

Well it ended now.

Gordon had what he wanted…he had Dean, the bitch and that kid. Jo didn't know if he was anything to do with Dean. She wasn't about to discount the kid as his….Dean sure liked to get around with everyone _but_ her. Great, now she was sounding like some stupid, petulant child. Jo rolled her eyes and took one last look at her watch, before looking to see if they were still alone.

Her luck seemed to be holding so far. Precious time had been lost helping Gordon take Dean and the others from the diner. But Jo wasn't stupid. For her plan to work, she needed to get to Sam before John got back and there was no saying where he had gone.

Jo almost snorted in amusement. Gordon was going be majorly pissed with her. She was supposed to bring Sam to him so they could find out what the real deal was…save the freaking world and all that. Jo didn't care for any of that. She had one thing in mind. Cold, hard revenge. Dean was already taken care of and Jo would deal with John when the time was right….but Sam? Oh, Sam was personal. She wanted to make him hurt for all the pain he'd caused, both physically and emotionally. Making her feel helpless, taunting her about her father….oh, yeah, she wanted Sam to suffer. But not at Gordon's hands. At her own.

Jo also knew that losing both his boys was the one way to tear the heart out of John Winchester…if he even had one anymore. Or had ever had one at all. Jo could recall how nice he had seemed when she was a little girl. Her mom had liked John, her Dad had shared a bottle with the man on many an occasion after a hunt. John had always spoken of his boys. They were the center of his universe, just as Jo's Dad had been to her.

And then John had taken her father on one more hunt and Jo's Universe had died…..

Slipping her hand carefully into her jacket pocket, Jo found the syringe she needed. It was some herbal concoction that Gordon had paid some crazy woman in southern Louisiana for. It was supposed to sedate Sam, make him a little delirious and more susceptible to telling them what Gordon wanted to know.

But Jo had done her homework. A good portion of the stuff was made from pure Datura plant….and too much of that would prove fatal…but not before a lot of pain was suffered.

Jo could see that Sam was starting to come out of the vision…or whatever it was he was having. She hoped it was as painful as it looked, but if she was going to make her move….the time was now.

"Sam?" That's it…just a little hesitation in the voice. "Sam!" Jo rushed forward, playing the concerned act for all it was worth. She'd watched enough hunters over the years to pick up on acting tips. Dropping to her knees, Jo placed a hand on his arm. "Sam, what happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Elise instinctively drew Sam a little closer, locking her arms around him. "Oi, who the hell you? Sam, do you know this girl?"

Sam blinked owlishly for a moment, still disorientated by the blinding headache that had blossomed in his head and nauseated by the vision of Dean in so much pain. "Jo? What the hell? How'd you find us here?"

"Bobby told me you were headed this way. He's back in Nebraska with my Mom and Missouri. They're trying to track down how many hunters are left and regroup them. I figured I was more useful out here with you and Dean. Where is he?"

"Dean?" Sam asked, confusion filling his features. Had he really just had a vision? Was it a future vision? Or was Dean in trouble now? Sam struggled to sit up, a tight, pained groan slipping from him. "I'm…I'm not sure where Dean is, right now. We should…" Sam blinked again, wishing his mind wasn't still throbbing like a migraine was settling in behind his eyes. " Wait…You came here alone?"

"Sam, I'm not a kid. I thought I showed you and Dean that much when I helped you stop that serial killer….or did you forget all about Dean using me as bait and pissing off my mom?"

Sam quirked a tight smile at the memory of how hard that drive back had been with Ellen giving Dean the stony cold shoulder the whole way. He'd half expected his brother to die from frostbite after several hours of Ellen sharing the front seat with him while Sam had be relegated to the back with Jo. "I remember." His smile disappeared quickly. " I also remember the last time I saw you. I…I didn't get a chance to apologise for that."

Jo held up a hand to silence him. " Forget it. Dean already told me all about it. It's in the past…leave it there, okay? Now, you think you can stand? We should get you inside."

Elise was watching Jo like a hawk at first, wondering who the hell this girl was to be so familiar with Sam? It obviously wasn't a completely happy reunion. Elise could see that by the way Sam was a little nervous around Jo, as if he felt guilty. But about what? Was there bad blood here? Sam seemed nervous, but not overly worried about her. There was definitely more guilt in his eyes than anything else and that just opened up even more questions in Elise's mind.

But the foremost thing on Elise's mind, was getting Sam inside. He was still a little unsteady on his feet and Elise couldn't even begin to imagine what had actually happened before to make Sam collapse. "Easy, mate…one step at a time, that's it."

"I'm okay, really…" Sam assured Elise, finding it slightly embarrassing that he was being helped by two girls. Dean would have been lapping it up, but Sam just felt uncomfortable and stupid. A wave of nausea washed over him and for a moment, Sam felt dizzy, stumbling slightly.

It was all the chance Jo needed. She had the syringe in her hand, stabbing it into Sam's arm as he stumbled. She bumped against him, covering her deceitful move with a surprised, "Sorry!" As she pressed the plunger all the way in on the syringe. It contents fully injected, the syringe was pulled loose and dropped to the ground, barely a few seconds passing by through the whole act.

Sam didn't even register the sting in his arm as he fought to keep his balance with Jo and Elise's help. He paused, letting the girls support him until he felt a little more sure on his feet, the dizziness passing after a moment. "Whoa…sorry about that."

"The sooner we get you back to the room, the better." Elise said worriedly, holding onto Sam's arm and trying to gently lead him towards the motel. " Maybe you've pushed yourself too much, too soon. You don't want to reopen that wound, Sam."

"What? And lose out on you playing nurse again?" Sam joked lamely, trying to walk unaided now as they got closer to the motel. Lying on a bed with Elise keeping him company was a nice thought, but first he had to find Dean and Skye. He had to be sure they were okay. Should he tell Elise he'd had a vision? How would she take that on top of everything else that she had dealt with recently? Sam would be amazed if Elise didn't just bail on them. If anything, it was probably safer in the long run. Sam couldn't help but think about the deal Dean had made for Skye and it worried him that he was putting Elise in direct danger, just by having her near him.

His eyesight swam for a moment, Sam passing it off as merely another vision induced headache symptom. But then his balance went as well, Sam toppling heavily to the side in a sprawl of tangled limbs with Elise.

"Shit! What the bloody hell, Sam--….?" Elise exclaimed, trying to extract herself from beneath him. At first she felt a flash of mild annoyance. The fall had skinned her elbow and was going to leave Elise with a nasty bruise on her left cheek where Sam had collected her with a wrist as he fell. "Sam….Sam? Sam!" Elise managed to wriggle free as she realised he wasn't responding.

Jo was huddled over Sam, gently shaking his shoulder as he lay sprawled on the grass, his eyes glazed, pupils blown wide. "Sam? Sam, can you hear me? What's happened to him?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Elise snapped, panic filling her as she gently cupped her hands to either side. "Sam? Hey…hey, can you hear, mate? Jesus, don't do this to me, Sam. Answer me…"

"J…J…Jess?" Sam's eyes roamed lazily around, unfocussed as he looked at Elise, reaching up to put his hands over hers. "Don't…don't leave me."

"I won't." Elise assured him, ignoring the stab to the heart she felt at the mention of Jess's name. Whatever was wrong with Sam, it was seriously screwing with him. She grabbed his hands and held them tightly. "I'm right here, Sam. Just stay with me, okay?"

"Come on, we have to get him inside." Jo grabbed one of Sam's arms and tried to pull him upright.

"Take it easy! You'll pull his arm out of it's bloody socket, you dickwank!" Elise snapped at Jo, tears brimming in her eyes but not falling.

"What the hell did you just call me?" Jo demanded, her hands clenching into fists by her side.

"You heard me. Now grow a fucking brain and wait for me to help you before you both end up hurt." Elise got herself behind Sam and dug her feet in, pushing him up as Jo gently pulled on his arms. It was one hell of a struggle, lifting what was essentially dead weight now. But the girls managed and with one arm each over their shoulders, they staggered towards the motel again.

"What room are you in?"

"Twenty seven…down the end." Elise informed Jo as they rounded the side of the motel rooms. It might as well have been the other side of town. Her back was straining, pain making her bite her lip and huff for air as they stumbled and almost lost their balance. Sam was barely able to lift his head from his chest, never mind aid them in walking.

"Forget the room…let's get him in here." Jo swung them towards the nearest motel room door, kicking it open and dragging Sam inside. "There's no way we'll make it to your room. Help me get him to the bed."

Elise felt weird about taking Sam into another room, but her back and legs were begging her to do it, to take the weight off them. Plus she was terrified and confused about what the hell had happened? Did this have anything to do with what happened to Sam outside? Was it a stroke? An aneurysm? No, wait…that would have killed him. So what the hell was wrong with Sam?

Elise and Jo managed to half walk, half drag Sam to one of the beds, dumping him as gently as they could. Elise sat down on the bed beside him, laying a hand on his arm, worried about how warm he was starting to feel. "Sam? Can you hear me?"

Sam's head slowly turned towards the sound of her voice. He felt so warm, why was it so warm all of a sudden? He was finding it hard to swallow, his mouth was so dry. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. But as he looked at Elise, her face began to melt and drip away as if it was made of hot wax. Sam's eyes became the size of saucers and he tried to crawl backwards, away from her as a choked cry of shock escaped him. "Get…get away from me."

"Sam? Sam, it's me….it's Elise."

"Who are you?? Get….get away from me!" A psychic shockwave punched out of Sam blindly, knocking Elise back several feet and dumping her on the floor. A painting hanging on the wall behind her shattered, spraying glass before it fell to the floor.

"Sam!" Elise cried, stunned and downright scared of being hurt by him. She didn't know how to deal with this and one look at Jo told Elise that the girl was going to be no help either.

Jo pulled back the curtains on the small front window and peered out, flinching at the sound of the painting shattering behind her, but barely throwing Elise a glance. The syringe was doing it's job apparently, although the exact effects Sam was starting to experience were a complete mystery to Jo. Not that she cared what he went through as long as he died and she got to watch….

But first and foremost, she had to make sure that John wouldn't find them until it was too late. Once Sam was dead….then and only then, would Jo let him have his son back. She wanted to see the pain in his eyes, the crushing sense of loss…seeing Sam dead. Dean dead. His entire world gone. That was justice for her father. Gordon would be pissed with Sam's death but Jo was ready to take the heat for that. If anyone understood an eye for eye….it was Gordon Walker.

Sam was slumped on the bed, exhausted from the energy expended by the psychic blast. Nothing was making sense to him. He was so hot, his skin felt like it was burning, his mouth was a parched as a desert. Sam wasn't even sweating, despite how much he felt like he was burning up. Everything seemed to be swimming and shifting as he looked at it, as though the whole world was liquid.

Elise cautiously picked herself up from the floor and approached Sam, seeing him barely conscious, his skin flushed but not sweating. The moment she touched her hand to his forehead, she felt a surge of panic. " Oh my god, Sam, you're burning up!"

"Elise?" Sam's eyes were unfocussed and glazed as he rotated towards the sound of her voice, his hand sliding across the bed to find hers, latching on and squeezing. "Watch….watch out for the fire. It's so…so hot. Can't…can't breathe."

"Shhh…it's okay, Sam. It's okay. I'm going to get you some water. Just hang on." Elise got up from the bed, reluctantly releasing Sam's hand, but noting how hot and dry his skin had felt. What was going on? This wasn't a normal fever…it had hit too fast and Sam wasn't sweating at all.

"Jo?…Jo! We need to get Sam some help. We need to find Dean and John." Elise told her as she went to the bathroom, returning a moment later with a glass of water. Jo didn't move from the window or even acknowledge Elise and a uneasy feeling settled in Elise's stomach about what was happening here.

The sound of beating wings filled the air and Jo peered out through the curtain, careful not to reveal herself as she watched John landing out in the parking lot. It was an amazing sight, seeing him land so gently, a huge set of inky black wings glistening in the sun before they neatly folded away behind his back as John strode forward towards his motel room. Jo had heard about how he looked now, how his time in Hell had changed the man that had hunted with her father all those years ago, but to actually see it with her own eyes, brought it all home for her. Everything Gordon had said about him not being human anymore, about how he was a freak that couldn't be trusted.

He looked so fearsome, downright intimidating with those huge wings. They weren't anything like what Jo would have imagined. Not the soft and white kind you saw in paintings and on crappy, sentimental cards. No, these wings were sharp and dark, almost sucking the light into them. They were the wings of a monster, not at angel.

"Here, Sam…small sips." Elise sat down on the bed and gently eased Sam's head into her lap, frightened by the heat radiating off him. It was almost as though she expected him to spontaneously combust at any minute and tears filled her eyes as she saw how weak Sam was. He could barely lift his head to swallow any water at all, his eyes mere slits, but the pupils still blown wide underneath.

" _SAM? ELISE?… DEAN??…SKYE?" _John's voice carried through the air, even though it was at a distance.

"Bout bloody time, John…" Elise sighed in relief, carefully freeing herself from Sam and heading for the door. " I'll be right back, Jo, look after Sa--…." The sentence was cut short as something hard shattered over the back of Elise's head. She crumpled to the floor, stunned and everything fading to black. Jo's voice was the last thing she heard.

"Hey, nothing personal…but I can't have you spoiling things for me." Jo dropped the remains of the bedside lamp to the floor. Barely a second later, Jo found herself sailing backwards across the room. She hit the far wall, colliding with the TV, knocking it off its stand. The screen shattered with an audible pop as Jo slid down the wall, cursing under her breath. Lifting her shirt, Jo could see broken skin where she'd scraped against the TV stand before she hit the wall. Debris was digging into her ass and legs as she tried to get up, hissing sharply in pain as her injuries made themselves known. "Down but not out, huh, Sam?"

Sam had dragged himself off the bed towards Elise, on his hands and knees beside her, his chest heaving from the exertion, his eyes dark as they glared a warning to Jo. "Don't…don't you…fucking…tou--…" His hands slipped from under him as Sam buckled to the ground, his energy spent as he fell into unconsciousness.

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"Sam? Elise? Anyone here?" John called again as he walked out of the motel room, finding the room the way he had left it before he went to the cemetery. He could have sworn there was a muffled thump before…some distance away, but John hadn't been able to pick up the exact direction.

He stood out in the parking lot, feeling like cats were climbing up his spine about the whereabouts of his family. The Impala was still sitting in the car park like a loyal steed, awaiting Dean's return. John knew they had gone for breakfast…maybe he should have a look in town? They were probably still there.

The coffee cups were still sitting in front of the Impala….but apart from that, there were no other signs of Sam and Elise. Where would they have gone? Sam would have heard John calling for him if they were still at the motel. Maybe they'd gone to breakfast with Dean and Skye?

An uneasy feeling was settling into John's gut about this situation, but he tried to push it aside. There was nothing to indicate that anything was wrong and the last thing he needed was to get all worked up over a potential threat, when everyone was safe. John knew he boys could handle themselves.

He just didn't know where they were.

" John!" Bobby was leaning out the car window as it roared into the parking lot and pulled up beside John. " We just drove through town and there's no sign of life. You sure that's where they were headed?"

" The Impala's here, Bobby. You really think Dean's going to walk to the next town?"

" Alright, point taken." Bobby conceded with a shrug. " What about Sam? You seen him yet?"

"No. I'm not even sure where he might have gone with Elise." John ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. " Missouri, can you get a reading off something, maybe?"

"A reading? What? You think I'm some sort of bloodhound now? You let me smell a shirt and I'll lead you right to them?" Missouri demanded snippily from the other side of Bobby.

John shrugged, his wings emphasizing the move as he gave the psychic a wry grin. "Something like that…" He was met with a stony look instead and let the smile drop. "Fine, do another sweep of the town, maybe you missed them? I'll have a look around the motel then meet up with you."

"We'll meet up in fifteen minutes, John. Watch yourself. Gordon isn't screwing around with this." Bobby still had a pounding headache and knew that he had gotten off lightly. The bastard could have split his head clean open if he had wanted to. He'd left Bobby chained up, had shot Phill in cold blood and had convinced Jo to turn on the Winchesters. No sir, if there was one thing for sure that Bobby knew about Gordon Walker. It was that the man was playing for keeps this time and if they weren't careful, things could get very bloody.

John gave the car a gentle tap on the roof as Bobby drove off, before he headed back to the motel, trying to think of where Sam and Elise would have gotten to? There was no reason for them to have gone to another room….save the obvious one of wanting privacy, but Sam would have shown his face by now, even if that was the case. He would have heard his father calling him. It was beginning to make more sense that Sam would have gone into town with Elise, maybe to meet up with Dean.

After the harsh, angry words that had been exchanged between his sons, John hoped that was the case. He knew that Dean would be distracted for now with Skye, but sooner, rather than later, they would have to talk about the deal Dean had made and what they were going to do about it. John wasn't willing to even contemplate his son going to Hell.

With a powerful beating of his wings, John took to the sky again, hovering above the motel and looking around to see if maybe Sam and Elise had gone for a walk? The glint of something metallic reflecting, caught John in the eye and he swooped down behind the motel, striding towards the object. His heart sank as John saw that it was a gun. Sam's gun to be precise.

He'd taught his sons well over the years about gun care and to find the weapon lying abandoned on the grass, immediately told John that something had happened to Sam. He bent over and retrieved the weapon, tucking it into the waistband of his jeans before he looked around for any signs of a struggle. Blood…scuff marks…anything.

About ten feet from where he was standing, John spied something else lying in the grass and found a syringe lying there. Being careful not to catch himself with the tip, John tried to ascertain what had been contained in it. His bad feeling had now become a full blown wave of fear.

John hesitated briefly, trying to think of where Sam would have been taken, if that was what had happened? It was the unknown elements of whatever had happened here, that had John close to panic. What if Gordon had Sam? He was still recovering from the night before and that meant Sam had been a soft target for the hunter. There was no time to waste. John launched into the air again, keeping low this time, aiming for speed to get him to Missouri and Bobby. He prayed they'd found Dean and Skye by now, safe and unharmed…..otherwise Gordon Walker was in for a world of pain.

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As her sense of awareness slowly returned, Elise found herself engulfed in pain. It felt like the back of her head had been caved in, her hair was sticky with blood. But that was stupid…if her skull had been caved in, she'd be dead and lying face down on the smelly, grimy carpet of a cheap motel didn't exactly scream to Elise of the afterlife she'd been told about in church.

Of course, the church could have gotten it wrong…or maybe she was in Hell and the devil had a wicked sense of humour?

There was a warm body beside her. Really warm. Panic flashed through Elise as she realised it was Sam lying there, unconscious and growing warmer by the minute. Now everything was falling into place. Elise was absolutely certain now that Jo had done something to Sam, was hurting him somehow. The sticky, bleeding goose egg on the back of her head spoke volumes as to how much trouble Elise was in. She remained still, letting her hearing try and pinpoint where Jo was in the room, before Elise risked cracking an eye open a fraction.

Jo was still standing near the window, her back to Elise. If ever there was a chance for Elise to do something? It was now. But what the hell was she supposed to do? Jo was obviously going to have more experience in fighting than Elise. The best Elise had managed was some schoolyard fights when her brother was being bullied. She was confident of holding her own in a normal street fight…but this wasn't some stupid brawl…this was a fight for her and Sam's life.

Her vision was still a little blurry, like someone was messing around with the soft focus at times. That sure wasn't going to make it easy…but Elise had no choice. Taking a moment to try and clear her head, Elise looked around, spying the end of a folding pocket knife in Sam's back pocket. Moving ever so slowly so as not to attract Jo's attention, she pulled the knife out and quietly opened it. The blade made a tiny little "snick" noise as it fully opened, Elise stilling instantly and waiting to see if that had caught Jo's attention.

The girl remained at the window, peering out. Elise knew she was out of time. Jo wouldn't have her back turned forever. The bed lay between Elise and Jo. Keeping low at first, Elise climbed over Sam, silently apologising to him in her mind and flinching at the heat she could feel radiating off him. She was no nurse, but Elise knew that sort of heat would lead to seizures soon unless she was able to get him cooled down. God, what if she couldn't cool him down in time? Why wasn't he sweating? What the fuck had that bitch done to him? Anger boiled up inside of Elise. Her hand tightened around the knife as she got to the bed and slowly began to crawl up on to it. She was half on the bed, when Jo realised something was happening and began to turn.

With almost a snarl, Elise launched herself towards Jo, tackling the girl around the midriff. They slammed to the floor, taking out a small bedside table with them, a broken leg from it piercing into Jo's side, just below her ribs and eliciting a scream of pain from her. Reacting on sheer hunter's instinct and a deep seated urge for self preservation, Jo struck out with a open palm smash, catching Elise under the jaw hard enough to drive her head back, her teeth catching her lip in the process, blood spilling down Elise's chin.

Falling back, Elise could see nothing but stars for a moment, shaking her head and feeling ill at the sensation of blood flying from her chin.

"I should've hit you harder." Jo ground out, somewhere between a growl and a gasp as she pulled the piece of wood from her side and threw it to the ground. Throwing herself at Elise, Jo found herself suddenly sailing over the top of the girl as Elise put her feet in Jo's stomach and flipped her over her head.

Jo landed hard, the wind knocked from her lungs with an "ooooff". Searing pain in her scalp, had Jo reaching up to try and unlock Elise's hands from her hair as she was dragged backwards, feeling clumps tearing loose as she cried out, trying to dig her nails into Elise's wrists and force her to let go.

Elise gritted her teeth against the pain, feeling nails puncturing the skin on her arms but refusing to let go. Knotting up as much of Jo's long blonde hair in her hands as she could, Elise slammed her head against the floor twice, before Jo was able to lash out with a wild strike and catch Elise above the left eye. The pain shocked Elise into letting go and in the back of her mind, she realised she'd lost the knife when she tackled Jo.

Jo rolled away from Elise, feeling blood running down the side of her head. She wavered as she got to her knees, finding her vision blurry around the edges. Elise had torn hair loose and Jo wasn't entirely sure she trusted her balance at the moment. Reaching into her boot, Jo drew out her father's blade, holding it easily in one hand as she readied herself for Elise.

Elise, meanwhile, had clambered back to the remains of the bedside table and retrieved Sam's knife, feeling a sense of relief wash over her now that she wasn't unarmed. Approaching carefully, her steps a little wobbly thanks to the damn goose egg Jo had given her, Elise could see that Jo was armed too now. Shit, that wasn't exactly what she had hoped for, because Jo probably knew more about using a knife than she did.

"Do I even get to know why?" Elise asked as she took other step, then stopped. There was no way she was going to walk right into Jo's reach.

"What? You're expecting some big confession? This isn't some stupid Bond movie, you know…" Jo sneered, rolling her knife in her hand as she got to her feet, her body tensing up to attack.

"No kidding, mate…Bond movies have standards. They wouldn't look twice at you." Elise smirked, flinching at the way it pulled on her bleeding bottom lip.

Jo pointed towards Sam's still form with her blade. "You don't know what he's capable of, what sort of a monster he can be."

Elise held her ground, bristling at the words Jo used. "Oh I know, mate. I've seen first hand what Sam can do…and the only monster in this room is you. He trusted you. What have you done to him?"

"It doesn't matter…he's gonna be dead soon." Jo shrugged casually, before she lunged forward with a speed that surprised Elise. The knife in Jo's hand flashed forward, Elise barely drawing back in time as it tore a line across her shirt and left a shallow, thin cut across her stomach that took a moment to bleed. Elise hissed in shock and pain, stumbling back, clutching at the wound and seeing blood covering her fingers.

Looking up, Elise saw a moment too late, that she had let her guard slip. Jo was rushing towards her, knife raised. Forgetting her own knife, Elise threw up her hands and caught Jo by the wrist. The momentum of Jo's attack pushed them both backwards, Elise losing her balance before the pair toppled to the floor. A struggle began between them, Jo having the advantage of being able to put all her body weight behind the knife while Elise fought to keep the blade away from her.

The knife was being driven lower and lower, towards Elise. At the last moment, she twisted her body away from the blade and it plunged into her shoulder, instead of her chest. A shriek of utter agony filled the air from Elise as Jo gave the blade a twist, then pulled it back out, rearing back to stab Elise with it again.

Elise couldn't move, the sheer shock of so much pain making it hard to think, to even draw another breath after her scream. Part of her knew she had to move, had to get out of the way, get out from beneath Jo, but she couldn't move fast enough, couldn't get her body to obey…and in that instant, all Elise could hope, was that it was quick.

Jo had a wicked, triumphant gleam to her eyes as she began to bring the blade back down. Now she understood why Gordon liked to hunt, like to get in there and get his hands dirty. There was a sense of satisfaction that came from taking down your enemy in hand to hand combat. In a moment, Elise would be dead and Jo could slip away, leaving Sam to die, knowing that John would never find him in time.

Elise locked eyes with Jo, reaching up to try and block the blade, her left arm all but numb from the stab wound in her shoulder.

Sam loomed up behind Jo, seeming gigantic, almost angel-like, as he reached around and took hold of Jo's wrists, halting the knife's descent.

Elise fumbled around on the floor beside her, desperate to find Sam's knife and finally brushing it with the tip of her right hand. Sam and Jo were still struggling and as Elise got a proper grip on the knife and pulled it towards her, she saw Jo throw her head back, smashing Sam in the jaw.

His eyes rolled back in his head and he fell backwards, stunned and exhausted from the effort of fighting Jo, the fever raging though him draining Sam of his strength.

But his diversion had given Elise all the time she needed. Without hesitation, she drove Sam's knife home in Jo's chest, thrusting it up, in through the ribs and into her heart.

Jo gave a tiny, strangled sort of a gasp, blood rolling up her throat and spilling over her lips before she fell forward, pinning Elise to the floor. The knife was driven in even deeper and Elise gave a squeak of horror as she wriggled out from underneath her, covered in blood. Jo's knife was lying on the floor beside them and Elise snatched it up, holding it in front of her with shaking hands as she butt-wriggled her way backwards from the sight of Jo's body lying there, her eyes still open but sightless now.

Sam was lying on the floor, his lip split open, his nose bleeding from the head butt he had received from Jo. The moment Elise was completely sure that Jo was dead…..and the growing pool of blood was a damn good indicator of that, she rushed to Sam's side. "Hey…hey, you with me, hero?" Elise placed her hand against Sam's cheek, tears welling up as she felt how hot he was still. It was like touching the Human Torch.

There was no response, other than Sam turning his head into her touch, his eyes briefly sliding open before they slipped shut again. Elise had to cool him down. She looked up to the bathroom, not fifteen feet from her. It might as well have been five hundred, but Elise had to move him, had to get Sam into a cold shower until help arrived. John, Dean and Skye had to be back soon…. Elise just needed to hold on until then.

"Come on, Sam….help me out here." Elise was exhausted, her head throbbing, her body trembling with shock and blood loss, her left arm all but useless at the moment. But sheer determination was pushing her now. She hadn't just killed someone, only to lose Sam. Grabbing hold off his shirt, she dug her heels in and tried to drag him to the bathroom with her one good arm. Sam slid barely an inch before Elise lost her balance and fell on her ass again, a sob escaping her lips.

How the hell was she going to do this? What was she even doing here? Why had she allowed herself to get involved in all this? Logic dictated that Elise should just cut out and run, just get the hell out of here and try and find some way home. Steal a fucking boat, whatever it took. Just get back to her family and her life that didn't involve demons and killing girls not much younger than herself.

Looking over at Jo's body again, Elise felt her stomach roll. She staggered to her feet and made for the front door of the motel room, barely getting it open and making it out to the parking lot, before she fell to her hands and knees, emptying her stomach violently. With nothing more than a cup of coffee in her stomach, it wasn't long before Elise was reduced to dry heaving. Wiping a shaky hand across her mouth, she fell back onto her butt and stayed there, pulling her knees up to her chest, trembling as she waited, praying that someone would find her soon.

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"Bobby? Tell me you've found them?" John demanded loudly as he walked out of yet another store in the town. He'd been searching for the past twenty minutes with Bobby and Missouri. Store after store, even the bar in town had been searched.

Nothing. No sign of Dean, Skye or Connor.

Panic was now well and truly settling into John's gut, his wings sitting high on his back, ready to take him into the air in a second if he needed to. Where the hell were his sons? Where were the girls? It was becoming more and more apparent that Gordon had gotten his hands on John's family. But one hunter couldn't have taken down that many people….there were too many damn questions running through his mind and no answers.

Bobby appeared on the street again from a small café. "John! John, over here." He waved him over, knowing that John wasn't going to like what he had to show him inside.

John pushed past Bobby and looked around the café, hoping to see Dean and Skye, hoping to hear Connor's little voice as he got inside, even though in his heart, he knew he wouldn't. The place was empty, a table lying on it's side; milk, broken glass and coffee spilt across the floor.

John crouched down and gently traced the tip of his index finger through the milk, then touched it to his tongue. He detected the trace of a some sort of drug instantly and his anger flared within him. Someone had dared touch his family. John could still catch the faint baby scent of Connor from the high chair, fuelling his rage and making his fists shake as he clenched them.

His rage wasn't hot, wasn't boiling. Oh no, this was ice cold. This was pure and cold and calculating. John was going to find Gordon and make him pay. Not just kill him, but make the bastard regret he had ever looked at John's family. Too many had died, too many had been lost over the years and John was done burying people he loved.

Getting to his feet again, John stormed towards the doorway of the café. Bobby and Missouri backed off as he exited the building, sharing an anxious look as they saw the storm raging within the half man, half demon before them.

"John…." Bobby stepped forward, gently grabbing his friend's arm. John turned on him with such venom in his eyes, they were almost black. Bobby instantly let go and stepped back, reaching for the flask of holy water in his vest pocket by instinct. There was very little of the hunter he knew, in the creature before him. Yet still, deep within, Bobby could see the same determination and fierce, unshakeable love that he had always known from John towards his family. "John, talk to me. Where's your head right now?"

"Don't get in my way, Bobby. I'm going to find them. I'm going to bring them home." John's voice was deep and angry, a tremble underlying the words. "He's got my son, maybe both of them…he's got Connor, the girls. I'm not going to let anything happen to them, Bobby. I can't."

Bobby nodded, understanding completely. "What do need from me and Missouri?"

"I nee you back at the motel, in case I'm wrong about Sam and Elise….in case someone shows up. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure we can, hun, you just watch your back, you hear me? Those boys don't need to be losing you again." Missouri piped up, her eyes full of concern. She'd known John for so long, that he was family to her. He'd been such a different man that came to her doorstep all those years ago with two small boys in tow and so many questions, Missouri had gotten a migraine. "You go bring your family home."

John gave the pair a curt nod, before he took several steps and launched into the air. He was up above the town in seconds, beginning to circle out towards the surrounding houses. Gordon couldn't have gotten far.

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Elise was still sat in the parking lot, her knees drawn up to her chest, shivering despite how warm the day was. A small voice in her head was trying to tell her that she needed to get inside, get back to Sam. That she needed to do something about her shoulder and the cut to her stomach. But the last place Elise wanted to be, was in the room with Jo's body.

The very thought of it had her dry heaving again, those sightless, staring eyes haunting Elise every time she closed her eyes for even a moment.

A car pulled in behind her, the doors opening and the sound of footsteps crunching across the gravel towards her before Elise even tried to turn around. Was this someone working with Jo? Or was it someone else?

"Oh dear god, Bobby, help me get this girl inside." Missouri gasped as she saw the state of Elise. She crouched down just to the side of Elise and laid a hand on her. " Hun? Elise? Are you with me, girl?"

Elise looked up, confusion clouding her face for a moment until she saw who it was. Tears filled her eyes as she was gently helped to her feet by Bobby. She felt safe again, knew she was with people that would not only help her, but could help Sam.

"Come on, darlin', let's get you inside and have a look at you. What the hell happened?" Bobby asked gently as he tried to guide her back to the room. He was shocked when Elise balked at the idea, wrenching herself from his arms and almost collapsing again as she backed away from the room, shaking her head.

" No….no, I can't. I won't go back in there. I…. I just can't. Please…"

" Alright…alright, Elise. Just take it easy." Bobby held his hands out before him, as if he was talking to a spooked animal, his voice low and soft. He had no idea what the hell was going on, but the terrified look in Elise's eyes, had his heart racing. " Elise? Where's Sam?"

" In there…oh god, Sam…" It was as if Elise had just realised something horrible and she took a step towards the room, then froze again, her eyes widening. "Bobby, you have to help him. She…she did something to him. I think….I think he's dying." Her voice broke on the last word.

Bobby looked at Missouri, seeing the same fears he was feeling, reflected in her eyes. He could see the Impala was parked several doors down and realised that had to be the room Dean and John had been using. " Missouri, you take Elise back down to the other room, start getting her cleaned up. I'm going to get Sam."

" Come on, hun….Bobby'll take good care of Sam. You come with me."

Elise nodded softly, feeling detached from what was happening around her and just letting Missouri take her by the arm and lead her to the room.

Bobby wasn't prepared for the sight that met his eyes when he entered the motel room. Sam was lying on the floor and it didn't take a goddamn medical degree to see the boy wasn't just sick, but near dying. John had shown Bobby the syringe back in town. It had been empty, but there had been a trace of odour left in it that Bobby had recognised. He wasn't sure of all the ingredients, but the main one was known to him. He'd hoped that the syringe hadn't been used….but one look at the flushed, red skin on Sam told him all he needed to know. The boy was going to cook in his own skin if they didn't get him cooled down.

But more than that, the sight of Jo lying in a pool of blood, broke Bobby's heart. He had watched this girl grow up, had known her father….even if they hadn't always seen eye to eye thanks to Bill's cockiness. He'd been like an Uncle at one stage….and to see her lying there lifeless, damn well tore out his heart.

She should have never gotten involved with Gordon Walker. The man turned to shit, everything he touched. He cared for nothing but revenge….and now he had gotten this young girl killed.

"Fuck!" Bobby spun and punched the wall beside him. This was such a mess. Jo was dead, Sam was near dying himself and Elise was never going to be the same. He understood now why she had been so freaked to come back in here. The pieces were rapidly falling into place and Bobby let out a heavy sigh, knowing that when it was all said and done, he would have to take Jo back to her mother for burial.

It wasn't the outcome he had wanted for this. But it was the hand they'd been dealt and he would do what was necessary.

Right now, he needed to get Sam out of the room and into a cold bath. Normally, a person that had been messing around with Datura plant would need to be kept cool until they could be rushed to a hospital. Overdosing on the stuff was real easy and almost always fatal. There was no hospital option here, but then, Sam wasn't a normal case. The demonic blood in his veins would provide more of a shield….at least, Bobby hoped so. All they could do for Sam was to try and lower his temperature and keep him comfortable. The rest was up to him.

Bending over, Bobby tried not to look at Jo as he grabbed Sam by the shirt and dragged the boy up and pulled him over one shoulder. The kid weighed a damn ton and it was an effort for Bobby to carry the boy out of the room and down several doors. "Just hang in there, Sam. Don't you go breaking our hearts, now."

Bobby nudged open the motel room door, finding Missouri sat on one of the beds beside Elise. She was bathing the girl's wounds with a washcloth, a first aid kit sat on her lap, ready to use.

Without saying a word, Bobby marched straight to the bathroom and stooped over to lower Sam into the bathtub as gently as he could before he turned the cold water tap on fully. Sam jerked as the freezing water touched his burning skin, his feet started to drum out an awful beat as his body began to suffer a seizure. Bobby leaned into the shower, using his body weight to hold Sam down and stop the boy from thrashing about and hurting himself. The water was soaking him to the bone, but Bobby barely noticed, too busy talking to Sam in a low voice. " You're alright, son. You're going to be alright. Just stay with me. You hear? Listen to my voice and stay with me. I'm gonna get you through this."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A/N #2: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll be updating again soon!_


	11. Retribution

_A/N: Phew...this one took a lot of writing. But I think it pays off in the end. As always, I can't thank LovinJackson and Deb enough for thier input and feedback. The enthusiasm you guys show me just make me so happy to write. Thanks guys!! I also have a page now for downloading all my vids, including my fic vids. It's in my bio if you want them. Now...read on!!_

**xxxXXXXxxxxx**

There had been times when Skye had wondered what it would be like to go back to a normal life? No demons, no ghosts, nothing to be afraid of in the dark. It all sounded so nice and so simple in theory. A normal life where Connor would have grown up with his father, gone to kindergarten in a couple of years, then school….like any other child.

But normality seemed to be something neither Connor nor Skye were ever going to be allowed. The father Connor should have had? Turned his back on his son….and was murdered by his own mother for being weak. That should have been the end of the matter, Connor simply growing up like any other single parent child.

Instead, fate had brought Dean and Sam Winchester into their lives…and afterwards, John too.

It was something that Skye would never regret. She had become a part of a new family, Connor gaining a father figure in Dean, an Uncle in Sam. Skye couldn't have asked for better. John had looked after her and Connor during the first days of the world going dark. Skye had felt safe and protected. That was the thing with those Winchesters. They knew how to make you feel as though nothing would get past them to hurt you….

Of course, that wasn't completely true. They weren't superheroes, they weren't invincible. John had been wounded saving Connor, Sam had done unimaginable things in the name of his brother.… and Dean? He had sold his soul to bring Skye back to life again and spare Connor the pain he had known himself, of growing up without a mother.

The Winchesters would do anything for the ones they loved and Skye was no different. She watched helplessly as Gordon Walker tortured the man she loved before her, expecting Dean to hand Sam over to him. As if that would ever happen.

"So…who wants to go first?" Gordon flashed Dean and Skye a lazy smile as he tapped his bloody knife against his temple. Dean was sweating, the strain of his current injuries taking a lot out of the kid, but he was damn stubborn when it came to handing over that brother of his. Gordon wondered how much he could put him through before he would crack? Would he crack? His gaze swept over towards Skye, washing over her and wondering if that right there….was the key to getting though Dean Winchester's armour?

Gordon got up and moved towards Skye, watching her back up against the wall, eyeing his every move like a hawk but being drawn again and again to the blade in his hands.

"Gordon…" Dean warned, his voice tight with pain. "Don't. Skye's got nothing to do with this. You keep saying it's nothing personal….so don't make it anymore than it already is. Back off."

"Tell me where Sam is? And this all ends, Dean….it's that simple."

Skye tensed up as the knife moved towards her face. She turned her head away slowly, pressing against the wall behind her, wishing she could just disappear into the wall itself away from this maniac who cared nothing for who got hurt as long as his personal vendetta was served. The only small measure of comfort she had, was that Connor wasn't in the room to witness this. But even that was only tiniest amount of comfort, because if Gordon was willing to kill her and Dean? There was nothing stopping him murdering a little boy either.

Skye dared a sideways glance at Gordon and saw nothing in his eyes at all. They seemed devoid of any humanity, save for a glint of pure wicked enjoyment. The sick bastard was actually enjoying himself.

"Come on, Dean. Time's a wasting, buddy and this sweet little woman? Is going to start screaming if you don't talk to me." Gordon warned, pressing the tip of the blade to Skye's cheek.

"I don't know where Sam is."

Gordon clucked his tongue at Dean, his knife still held against Skye's cheek, leaving a smear of Dean's blood behind as he dragged it over the surface of her skin, noting that Skye was breathing in shallow, thready breaths that left her trembling as she tried to watch the blade's path.

"Gordon…I swear, I'll fucking kill you if you hurt her. You want to talk about evil sons of bitches? Sam's not the one terrifying children and threatening innocent women with a knife. Maybe you oughta have a real good look in the mirror and see who the real monster is." Dean was quietly moving his hands back and forth, feeling the tape cutting in and tightening as he tried to stretch it. The skin was beginning to chafe and bleed, feeling like a flame was being held against his skin, but giving Dean hope of getting enough blood to make the tape lose it's adhesiveness so he could pull his hands free.

No matter what went down here today, he was going to get Skye and Connor out of there. Dad and Sam had to be looking for them by now. All they had to do was hang on until the cavalry arrived to save the freaking day. All Dean had to do was get Gordon focussed back on him. That wasn't going to be too hard…Dean was a master of pissing people off.

Gordon trailed the knife down Skye's throat, pausing to knick a tiny, shallow cut that welled up with blood. Skye gasped, startled by the sudden pain before she froze, not even daring to take a breath now as the sharp, cold steel of the blade swept over the hollow of her throat and cut through the top button of her shirt.

A tiny whimper slipped from Skye, a tear sliding down one cheek. She ever so slowly turned her head back to look at Dean, careful of the blade against her skin and saw the fury and frustration in his eyes. Skye held his gaze, needing that anchor, that connection to something -- someone -- beyond what was happening to her. She had to have faith in Dean and believe that he would find some way out of them for her. No, not just Skye. For all of them. Because Skye wasn't willing to lose Dean anymore than he was willing to lose her.

Another button was cut off her shirt and Skye felt a chill wash down her spine as the knife slid lower and lower, towards her bra, scraping the soft skin of her cleavage. "Please…I have a little boy. Please, don't do this."

"I'm still waiting, Dean…" Gordon spoke with quiet menace, flicking the blade ever so slightly to catch the skin, leaving another shallow cut on Skye that made her gasp.

" You sick son of bitch!" Dean snarled rattling the chair violently, the tape on his wrists cutting in deeper as he strained against them, praying they'd snap so he could beat Gordon's skull in. "I don't know where Sam is! He's the psychic fucking wonder, you asshole, not me! Why the hell would I give him to you when you're going to kill us anyway? This way I can least hope he'll waste your sorry ass for me."

Gordon rose from the floor and turned on Dean. It was exactly what Dean had wanted and now that he had the son of bitch's attention, he planned on keeping it.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Missouri had never taken any formal medical training, but years of working with the likes of Bobby Singer and even John Winchester, had forced her to learn the basics of first aid. Somehow she had never quite figured on her high school needlework classes coming in handy like this, but life was funny with what it could throw at you.

The cut across Elise's stomach was shallow enough for a few butterfly plasters to hold it closed. But the stab wound in her shoulder was another story. It was ragged and torn, looking more like a damn tree branch had punched through, than a knife. Missouri had cleaned the wound with antiseptic, constantly murmuring her apologies to Elise in the process. The stitches had been awkward and no doubt extremely painful for Elise, but by the end of the job, Missouri was happy enough that they would hold.

To her credit, the girl had held still like a trooper, barely flinching when Missouri touched the wound. Although Missouri had a cold feeling in her stomach that it was more to do with shock and the brain's desire to shut down, rather than deal with what Elise had been forced to do. She slipped her hand over Elise's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and seeing the shimmer of tears in the girl's eyes. "If you need to cry, sugar, don't you hold it back, you hear? Don't you go feeling you have to play the tough guy around any of us."

Elise gave a barely perceptible nod, tears sneaking past her defences and splashing into her lap.

The whole fight kept playing through her mind, in vivid colour and surround sound, making her feel ill again. Elise didn't think she would ever be able to sleep again, not without seeing Jo's face. Her hands closed into fists in her lap, her finger nails digging into the flesh, leaving half crescents that welled up with blood before Missouri carefully pried her hands open and cleaned the wounds.

"I know I'm not going to be able to say anything to make you feel better, girl. But you did what you had to. You defended yourself and you gave Sam a fighting chance. Don't you go thinking you did anything wrong. Not now, not ever." Missouri said firmly. She wanted to get her hands on Gordon Walker herself and teach the man a thing or two. What the hell had he been thinking? Leading Jo into his twisted way of life? Turning the girl in one of the damn enemy?

Bobby appeared from the bathroom, drying his hands with a towel. "If I need to put anymore ice in that bathtub? I'm gonna have to go into town to see if there's any in the bar…the motel ice machine is empty." It had taken six bags of ice to help cool the water to a level where Sam was no longer having seizures. All the older hunter could hope for now, was that it had been done in time to prevent any brain damage. "Someone needs to sit with Sam while I tend to….the other room."

"I'll sit with him."

They were the first words Elise had spoken since Missouri had brought her into the room. Bobby shared a look with Missouri before he nodded. " Sure, I think that would a good idea. He needs someone to keep him calm and talk to him. You sure you're up for that?"

"I said I'd do it." Elise repeated, throwing Bobby a dark look before she got up and went to the bathroom.

Sam was still submerged as much in the bath as possible, although his long legs had been forced to hang over the end of the tub. Bobby had removed Sam's boots and socks, but left his clothes on him. The wet material would help keep him cooler.

Elise sat down on the chair that had been brought in earlier by Bobby. She placed a hand to Sam's forehead and was relieved to see that he was no longer scorching hot to the touch.

A quiet groan came from Sam before his eyes flickered open. He looked at Elise and for a moment, she was overwhelmed to see him awake….until she saw his pupils still blown wide. "Sam?"

"Jess…what are you doing here? I…I thought you said you had finals to study for? Brad said you were going to be buried in books all weekend." Sam cocked his head to one side, clearly puzzled, his voice slow and thoughtful as though he was having trouble processing anything.

Elise choked back a sob, swallowing it down and making her voice steady before she spoke. "Sam? Sam…it's Elise. Jess isn't here…"

"Elise? Oh….right, Elise! You're in my Theology class, right? With Mr Truden?"

Elise didn't hold back her tears as she took Sam's hand and pressed it to her cheek. "Sam, please…it's me."

The look of complete incomprehension she received from Sam, broke her heart.

**XxxXXXxxx**

Dean's head snapped to the right as the fist slammed into his jaw, blood spilling from his lip and all the world suddenly becoming painted in shades of grey. His right eye was already swelling shut and it was getting harder to stay awake with each punch, but Gordon hadn't even looked in Skye's direction for the last five minutes and that was what he had been aiming for.

Skye jumped each time Gordon hit Dean, biting down on her lip to stop from screaming. She couldn't just sit here, watching Dean get beaten to death by Gordon. "Alright."

Gordon had hold of Dean by the hair, his head pulled back so far, that Skye could see the muscles in his neck straining. He turned, still keeping his fingers knotted up with Dean's short hair, an expectant, almost pleasant smile on his face. "You say something?"

"Skye…no…"

Skye heard the plea in Dean's voice, the way his words were slurred, moving through lips that no longer moved the way they should. A fire began to build within her. Who the hell this bastard think he was? How dare he threaten her son, hurt the man she loved! Skye didn't like playing the victim, didn't like being scared and she sure as shit wasn't going to cower anymore while Dean played human punching bag. "You want to know what Sam's plans are? I'll tell you."

"I'm listening." Gordon released Dean and folded his arms, watching Skye intently.

"Azazel wanted Sam to rule his armies and be at the front of this coming war…." Skye began.

"Skye, don't…"Dean couldn't focus properly, blood dripping from his mouth as he spoke. Shit, it felt like Gordon had cracked a couple of teeth, the pain would be a bitch until they healed up. Dean was thankful for the blood his father had given him now. It was the healing that was keeping Dean in this fight. Otherwise he would have probably bleed out from the wound Gordon had left in his leg with his knife. His nose felt broken too. That was just one of the things Dean hated about Gordon Walker, the man hit like a fucking freight train. He hissed in pain as Gordon raised one foot and put in down on his injured leg, grinding his heel in.

"And? I'm waiting…" Gordon growled.

"And what?" Skye snapped, her heart clenching at the way Dean was beginning to writhe in agony. Tears rushed down her face, her hands becoming fists as she got to her knees and faced Gordon, spitting out her words angrily. "Sam's going to rule this world. He's going to make it bleed and burn and you? You're not even going to be a bug under his feet, you bastard. _That's _what Sam's plans are."

Gordon rushed at Skye, driving her back against the wall as he grabbed her by the throat, cutting off her air. "You think this is a game?"

"For…you…maybe…." Skye choked out. Her heart was slamming against her ribs, her gaze locked on Gordon's as she fought to keep her fear in check. "Sucks from….where….I'm standing…"

Seconds ticked by as Skye fought for air, waiting for Gordon to crush her throat completely or snap her neck like a chicken. Her eyes never left his, determined to face her death head on if she had to. Behind Gordon, she could hear Dean, hear him calling her name, calling Gordon a few things she hoped Connor couldn't hear. And the fact she was even thinking of that at this moment? Had Skye wondering if she was becoming hysterical?

The last thing either Skye or Dean expected, was for Gordon to suddenly release her throat and back away, laughing. A deep, mocking belly laugh that fanned the flames of hatred inside Skye as she collapsed to her knees, retching and coughing for air.

Dean tried rocking his chair back and forth, trying to get enough momentum up to shift closer to Skye. He was partly successful, managing to get himself between Skye and Gordon, who had walked away from the pair, taking a cell phone from his pocket. Now that was something he hadn't expected to see. Who the hell was Gordon calling? Reinforcements? God, Dean hoped not. Not until he was loose and able to defend Skye anyway.

"Hey…Skye, you alright, babe?" He had his back to her now, kicking himself for managing to end up in that position. Twisting as far as he could, Dean was just able to see her, still doubled over on the floor, coughing.

"No…but I'll live." Skye ground out, finally sitting up again. Her cuffed arm was causing pain to run all the way through her shoulder and across her back. But Dean was closer now. Close enough for her to reach his hands if she crawled to the full extent of the handcuff. Slipping her free hand into Dean's, a sob broke from her as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Can you tear the tape off? My hands are almost numb…" Dean asked quietly, watching Gordon's every move as he dialled a number and waited for the other end to pick up.

**XxxXXXxxx**

In the bedroom, Connor had been curled up on the bed in a ball, quietly crying for his Mommy and Dee to come and let him out. Everything was so scary now. The bad man had locked the door and he was doing naughty things that was making Mommy cry and Dean say bad words.

Connor didn't understand why this was happening? Why hadn't Poppy come to stop the bad man? Why wasn't 'Leese here?

His Mommy had always said that the bad things wouldn't get him, because Dee and 'Ammy were making them go away. But now the monsters and bad things were hurting his Mommy and Dee and Connor wanted to be brave, but he didn't have Mr Woobie with him.

He sat up slowly, drawing his thumb up to his mouth for comfort, even though Mommy said he was too big now to do that sort of thing. His blue eyes widened as Connor thought about why no one had come to make the monsters go away. They didn't know how to find him!!

Climbing carefully down from the bed, Connor looked at the door again for a moment, then went to the window. It was open just enough for him to get his fingers under and wiggle it up. The window was too high for him to climb out of. Connor looked around the room again, chewing on his thumb before he spotted something he could stand on. It was a small box in the corner. Running over, he pushed the box towards the window, then carefully climbed up on it. Connor knew it could break beneath him. It was one of those boxes Mommys kept hats in and if you stood on it too much, you fell over when the top broke.

With a fair amount of kicking, Connor was able to climb out the window, falling down on the other side and banging his arm. Tears welled up his eyes, his lip quivering as he fought not to cry, cause then the bad man would hear him. Connor didn't know which way to run, which way would take him back to Poppy and 'Leese and 'Ammy.

There was a lot of long, golden grass before him and beyond that, a road. Maybe that would take him to Poppy? His little legs all but flew as Connor ran as fast as he could from the house, needing to find someone to save his Mommy and Dee.

**XxxXXXxxxx**

Bobby had dumped another two bags of ice from a nearby gas station into the bath with Sam, trying to not listen as the kid rambled on about how he had homework due. He was asking for Dean every so often, his voice tired and confused. Every word was scaring Elise more and more, but she hadn't moved from Sam's side. Bobby gave the girl a gentle pat on the shoulder to reassure her. "I know it's hard, but he needs you, okay? That crap in his system has his brains all scrambled right now…"

"Yeah…." Elise said softly, hating the fact that she hadn't heard her name on Sam's lips since the fight with Jo. Right now, Elise would give anything to hear her name, to have Sam look at her with some sort of recognition in his eyes for her, instead of seeing her as a complete stranger. She felt so alone, even with Bobby and Missouri watching out for her. Sam had been the one person who had made her safe since they had started travelling together and now the absence of that, was like being trapped in darkness.

"I've gotta go deal with….well, business." Bobby didn't want to mention Jo's name in front of Elise. But he still needed to get Jo wrapped up and ready to be taken back to Ellen for burial. "You gonna be alright here? Missouri can take over if you need to rest?"

Sam had been lying half conscious in the bath, his hand still burning hot in Elise's hand. It was only the icy cold water that was keeping him from completely overheating. At the mention of Elise leaving, he jerked suddenly, clutching her hand tight and looking at her with wide, glassy eyes. "Don't go. Please. Please….everyone keeps leaving me. Mom, Jess…Dad….Dean. They've all left me and I'm too scared to follow them."

"Shhhhh….shhh, Sam. It's okay." Elise cupped a hand to his face, feeling the heat radiating out, but feeling slightly reassured that it didn't feel as hot as before. "I'm staying right here…it's okay."

Sam nodded, his eyes still unfocussed before they slid shut again and he sank back into the bath again, his hand maintaining it's hold on Elise's. She felt her throat close up as she looked up at Bobby. "I'm fine. You go do what you need to do."

Bobby quietly excused himself from the bathroom and found Missouri out in the other room, fussing about, making beds and obviously trying to keep her mind occupied.

"I'm gonna see to Jo."

"I'll hold the fort here, Bobby. You don't need to tell me." Missouri replied without looking up as she smoothed out another bed spread, picking a feather off it. "Damn that John Winchester, the man's impossible."

Bobby could hear the tension in Missouri's voice and watched as she smoothed out the edges of the feather gently. " He'll be okay, Missouri."

" I know that! Don't you go thinking you have to reassure me, Bobby Singer. I'm too old to worry about that man and his boys. They've given me more than enough grey hairs over the years." Missouri snapped defensively. The chuckle she heard from Bobby told her that he didn't believe a word of it. Again she quietly cursed the Winchesters for making her care about them. "Go on, get your butt out that door before I put my foot up it."

"Yes, ma'am."

**xxxXXXxxxx**

The tinny sound of some stupid pop tune that Bobby was sure he recognised from the radio, greeted him as he opened the door of the motel room and saw Jo lying where she had been left. Not that he had expected to find the girl anywhere else. It still knotted up his stomach to see her like that. Her skin had become ashen now, mottling showing on the underside where the blood

had pooled in her body after death. Stupid kid should have known better, dammit.

That damn pop tune was still playing, the sound of it leading Bobby to a cellphone in Jo's back pocket. He flipped open the phone and answered it. " Yeah?"

"_Who is this?"_

Bobby's blood ran cold the moment he heard the voice on the other end of the line. "Walker, you son of a bitch…."

"_Bobby? Where's Jo Harvelle?"_

"Dead. That's where. You sent a fucking green hunter up against Sam Winchester. What the hell did you expect to happen?"

"_You've got it wrong, old man. Jo volunteered. She wanted to fight for this world, unlike a traitor like you. How'd you get away?"_

" I reasoned with Ellen. Made her see some damn sense after all the crap you fed her. Cut the bullshit, Gordon. You're on your own and I sure as shit wouldn't want to be in your shoes if John Winchester finds you. You've got his family. Now how about your use some of that stuffing you call a brain and tell me where they are?" Bobby demanded, hoping to finally make Gordon see some reason. His hopes were crushed, when the call suddenly ended. " Gordon? Gordon!"

Bobby threw the phone at the wall, shattering it. Looking down at Jo's cold body, he prayed it was the only one he would have to deal with. Somehow, he didn't think there'd be much left of Gordon Walker once John got his hands on him.

**xxxXXXxxx**

" Just try and work on the edge, see if you can start to peel it." Dean instructed quietly over his shoulder, keeping an eye on Gordon. Whoever he was speaking to on the phone, Dean got the impression that the phone call wasn't going the way Gordon had hoped it would.

Time was running out for them and Dean's hands were still taped together.

"I'm trying to work the edge," Skye hissed in frustration. "It's too slippery." It was hard not to feel sick at the feeling of Dean's blood on her fingers, making them slick, causing the tape to slip and elude her attempts to lift it. Her cuffed arm was all but numb now, twisted at an angle that was seriously locking up her shoulder with pain, the whole joint feeling enflamed and throbbing white hot. Part of her was screaming in her mind to just stop, to move back and take the pressure off her shoulder before it popped out of joint altogether. Skye knew Dean would never judge her if she did, but she would judge herself. This was the one chance they had. Her son was relying on her to get him out of this. Skye wasn't about to let Gordon Walker win and harm her little boy.

" Skye, hurry…" Dean whispered as he caught sight of Gordon pacing in the other room on the phone.

"I'm hurrying…believe me."

Gordon locked eyes with Dean from the other room, dropping the phone from his hand and drawing a Browning automatic from the back of his jeans. He strode towards the pair, his eyes cold and emotionless as he cocked back the hammer on the gun, aiming it.

" Gordon…whoa, whoa, wait! You don't have to do this, dude…listen to me." Dean jerked his hands away from Skye as she scrambled backwards, hitting the wall behind her hard enough to make her bones rattle.

Dean struggled furiously with the tape around his wrists, stretching it, letting it cut in as he see-sawed it back and forth. The pain fuelled him to try harder, and he could feel one hand starting to slide free, slick with fresh dripping blood as Gordon reached Skye.

"NO! Leave her alone…just leave her alone you fuck!" Dean yelled rocking the chair wildly so that it shifted around enough to let him see the pair as he gritted his teeth and straining against the tape on his wrists, the veins on his neck bulging.

**xxxXXXxxx**

The eastern outskirts of town had proven a bust. John banked to the right, deciding on one last sweep before he moved on. There had been no signs of life, no cars, no lights. The place gave a whole new meaning to a ghost town and John's patience had been shot to hell before he had even started.

Somewhere out there, Gordon Walker had his family. John was sure of that. He'd seen the evidence at the café and with each passing minute. John was becoming more and more desperate to find them.

It was already heading into mid afternoon. John paused for a moment, cursing under his breath as his wings kept him hovering in place. It was like looking for a needle in a fucking haystack. What was John supposed to do to keep the people he loved safe? Fit them with tracking devices so that the next crazy son of a bitch that tried to get their hands on him, was easier to find?

It was at the point of John wanting to take on the Powers That Be, whoever that was…to demand answers. Just storm the pearly fucking gates and demand to see whoever/whatever was in charge. How much more was he supposed to pay? He'd lost the love of his life, had given his own life and burned in Hell for a son that was now doomed to the same fate. John had watched one son become dark, become something he wasn't, driven by grief. And then, John had been forced to feed his other son demon blood to give him life again.

When was it going to stop?

A flicker of gold caught his eye and for a moment, John imagined himself as a kitty hawk or an eagle, hanging on the breeze, waiting for that mouse or rabbit to move and give away it's position.

Only this wasn't a mouse. This wasn't some little rabbit….that flash of gold was his grandson running like some slathering monster was hot on his heels. John rolled over to the right and dived down after the little boy, shaking off the realisation of what he had called Connor before. So what? That kid was his grandson as far as John gave a damn. He would do anything for him and nothing made John prouder than the way Connor would call him Poppy and look to him with such confidence that he could fix everything.

"Connor!" John called as his wings stretched out wide to allow him to land gently a little distance in front of the little boy.

"Poppy!" Connor's tear streaked face lit up like a sunburst, the little boy picking up speed to throw himself into John's arms, hugging him desperately. John could feel how tired Connor was, his chest heaving as he sobbed. Gently easing Connor away so he could look at the little boy, John smoothed hair back out of his eyes. "Where are they, buddy? Where's your Mommy and Dean?"

Connor lifted one arm wearily and pointed back towards the stand of trees John had spotted him running from. He kicked himself for not thinking to expand his search out a little further in that direction. There had to be a farmhouse or something that way. Scooping Connor into his arms and holding him close, John took to the air. As he past the trees, he could see the house in the distance. His wings beat heavily, picking up speed until John was close enough to see Gordon's Camino parked beside the house.

Landing a safe distance from the house, John knelt down and gently placed Connor on the ground before him, his hands on the little boy's shoulders. "Mommy and Dean are in there?"

"Bad man." Connor nodded, his bottom lip quivering as plump tears cut a path down his little dirt stained cheeks. "Bad man hurting them. Mommy crying . Poppy 'ave them? Make bad man go 'way?"

John ruffled Connor hair and gave him a tight smile, his anger burning inside into a molten fury that he wanted to open up on Gordon Walker with. " I promise, dude. The bad man is going to go away for good. Okay?"

"'Kay…" Connor nodded, his eyes expressing the implicit trust he had in John.

" Connor, was Sam with them? Does the bad man have Sam and Elise in there too?" John's chest tightened when he saw Connor shake his head, looking slightly puzzled. Damn it. If Gordon didn't have them…where the hell were they? Did that mean they were safe? John forced himself to push that aside. He had to get Dean and Skye out of there…then he could work on finding Sam and Elise.

"Alright, Connor, I need you to listen to me, dude. I want you to stay right, okay? Right in this spot. Don't you move a muscle. You sit here and stay really quiet until I come back for you. Okay? Can you do that for me, dude?"

Connor nodded solemnly, reminding John of Dean so much that it made his heart ache. He knew exactly why Dean had made the sacrifice he had. What had driven his son…and John was determined to make sure that Connor got back both Skye and Dean. The kid was _not _going to feel that same sense of loss that followed Dean and Sam all their lives. John gave Connor's shoulder a squeeze, then paused to remove his watch. He handed it to Connor. "Hey…think you can keep this safe for me until I come get you? If you can do that? I'll get you a watch all of your own….what do you say?"

"Yeah!" Connor gave a shaky smile, looking a lot braver than the little boy obviously felt. John looked around the field he was about to leave Connor in. Damn it, he couldn't abandon Connor here all alone. Maybe he could get him back to town and then get back here without losing too much time? At least he would know Connor was safe with Bobby and Missouri….

A gunshot rang out across the field from the farm house, making Connor jump and clutch at John in terror.

"Shit. Connor. Stay here. Right here. Don't move. I'll be back. Stay right here." John ordered, his words clipped and tight as the marine in him instantly surfaced in the face of danger. He launched into the air, keeping low but covering as much ground as he could, as fast as he could….praying he wasn't too late.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Gordon's face was cold and full of hate as he cocked back the hammer of the gun and placed it to Skye's head. All he had to do was pull the trigger and the wall behind her would be awash with her brains. A life for a life. That was fair, right?

Sam Winchester had killed Jo, Gordon was sure of that. He'd underestimated just how much the kid had turned…and Jo had paid with her life. It was a mistake that Gordon would never make again but right now? All he wanted to do was make the Winchesters suffer the way Ellen would suffer when he told her about her daughter. The way the world was suffering now that all those demons had been let loose.

The way Skye shrank away, her eyes wide with fear, glassy with tears; it gave Gordon a rush. He loved the feeling of being in complete control of this woman's life….and more than that? He loved hearing Dean's furious, desperate shouting behind him. The only thing that could make this any better? Was if it was Sam's head he had the muzzle of his gun pressed to. Pulling the trigger on that filth? Was Gordon's ultimate goal still.

"Please….." Skye hated that she had been reduced to this, to begging for her life. She wanted to spit in Gordon's face, not cower before him. Skye was terrified that she was about to die, that her little boy would be next. Part of her screamed inside to go out fighting, to tell this piece of shit just what she thought of him, but her bravado evaporated in the face of a cold, harsh reality of a gun bring held against her temple. Had she come back just to die anyway? Had Dean sold his soul for nothing at all? How the hell was that fair? Connor had been safe before…that had been one small mercy Skye could have kept with her in the afterlife. Knowing that her son was safe and alive.

Now that was anything but true and Skye hated this man before her for taking that away. "Just let my son go. Please. That's all I'm asking. You want to kill me? I can't stop you….but don't hurt my little boy."

Gordon pressed the gun harder against Skye's head, a grin spreading across his lips like cancer, slow and diseased as he heard her sharp inhalation of breath. "I told you before….I'm not a monster…" The gun was suddenly removed from Skye's head and lowered as Gordon pulled the trigger. A bullet tore through her thigh, a scream erupting from Skye as she arched back in agony.

Dean was sure he felt something snap like a rubber band in his wrist as he broke free of the duct tape holding his hands behind him. The length of time he had been restrained, his arms robbed of crucial blood flow, meant that his movements were telegraphed as Dean brought his hands around in front.

Gordon was already turning, having realised that Dean was breaking free. The gun was up, aiming for Dean's chest as Gordon pulled the trigger again. Dean was moving with arms that felt like that belonged to someone else as he knocked the gun away as it fired, feeling the bullet punch through his shoulder instead of his heart. It stole the air from his lungs for a moment, everything seeming to slow down to half speed, the pain so intense in his shoulder it felt almost icy cold at first.

"Dean!" Skye had her free hand pressed to the bleeding wound on her thigh, trying to staunch the crimson pool that was seeping through her fingers. She couldn't understand why Gordon hadn't pulled the trigger while the gun was at her head? Did he want her to bleed to death instead? It was possible she supposed….nice and slow, immense pain. Gordon seemed like enough of a twisted bastard to want things that way.

Unfortunately, Skye didn't have to wait long for her answer…..it wasn't about her suffering at all.

Dean had his eyes closed for a moment, breathing harshly through his nose to take his mind off the pain. Helping him choke it down and deal, cause he had to. Skye was shot. He had to get her out of here. Dean had sold his damn soul to put his family back together after the fucking demon had tried to tear it apart and there was no way he was losing it now, to the likes of Gordon Walker. Dean could still recall the cold horror he had felt as Gordon recounted the way he had killed his sister when she had become a vampire. Cold, disconnected from any feeling other than revenge. Gordon had seen her as a monster, when he was the real one.

There was nothing in this world that could have made Dean kill Sam. Even when they had faced off in that church and Dean thought his brother had become evil, had stolen Skye from him….Dean wanted to save his brother. Because that was just it….Sam was his brother. Whether he had demon blood in him or not. Whether he was supposed to lead the Demon's armies or the world itself…he was still Sammy and Dean loved him. It was the difference between Dean and hunters like Gordon Walker.

Pain. White hot. Like a thermal nuclear explosion, like a supernova….blossomed in Dean's shoulder so fast that all thought stopped and he gasped, his eyes snapping open in shock and sheer agony. He reached up, trying to pry Gordon off. His hands and arms were still numb, ineffectual against someone who could press down with all his body weight.

Gordon had his thumb pressing on Dean's bullet wound, digging in, tearing the skin, pushing the bullet in deeper still it struck bone. Sweat beaded on Dean's brow as he growled, fighting the need to scream, not daring to give Gordon the satisfaction.

"You can't hold it in forever, Dean. Beg me. Beg for your life. Beg for the bitch's life."

"Fuck you!" Dean spat, his eyes a brilliant green as they stared defiantly into Gordon's. "The only bitch in this room is you, Gordon. Or would that be….son of a-?"

Gordon dug his thumb in deeper, watching the pain fill Dean's eyes as the younger hunter sucked in a breath sharply, biting down on his bottom lip and sending a thin rivulet of blood down to his chin before it formed a fat droplet that spattered on Dean's lap.

"That was my mother you're talking about…"

"No shit, Sherlock." Dean hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm sure she's real proud to see you working your way up the list on America's Most Wanted there, Gordon."

"Yeah? Well my Momma's still alive to see it, Dean. How's yours doing?"

"Just fine. She's watching over me all the time…." Dean ground out, a tight grin on his face covering the pain he felt at the mention of Mary.

"You really believe that? After what you and your brother have done? You're scum, Dean…you…your brother. That thing you call your father. You're no better than what you let out of those Hell Gates…and it's hunters like me that are going to save this world now. We haven't become what we hunted. Haven't changed sides like you." Gordon snarled. He brought his gun up and pressed it to Dean's lips. " Open up."

"Get fucked." Dean growled, keeping his jaw clenched, his teeth gritted.

Gordon moved faster than Dean had anticipated, pistol whipping him with the gun in the right temple, stunning him. Dean's vision suddenly became a snowy picture of bad TV reception, blood running down from a gash on the side of his head and dripping from his jaw line. There were fingers grabbing at his bottom jaw, pulling his mouth open, making him gag. Acting on pure instinct, Dean bit down and bit down hard, blood filling his mouth as he took off the top off one of Gordon's fingers and spat it out with contempt.

The second blow to his head almost stole Dean's consciousness. His head lolled back, the fight leaving him as he struggled to even get his eyes open again.

Gordon had his bleeding hand jammed under his other arm, swearing furiously against the pain. He couldn't believe that Dean had taken the tip of his fucking finger off! Looking over at Skye, he saw her draw back against the wall, her eyes flickering between him and Dean.

Still nursing his bleeding hand, Gordon lifted the gun and pressed it against Dean's lips. "Open up."

"N.No…" Dean rolled his head away, his eyes not quite focussed anymore as they looked around the room. Over against the wall, Skye fought back a sob that was crawling up her throat. Dean was hurting and she couldn't do anything but watch this unfold before her.

Gordon grabbed Dean's hair and pushed the gun hard enough against Dean's lips it felt as though it was going to break his teeth. "Open the fuck up or I'll put a bullet through her head, Dean! She lives or dies right now….your choice."

That was all it took. If there was choice to be made here, Dean had already made it the night before when he gave his soul to some demon bitch with a sulphurous perfume and a more pleasant disposition than Gordon would ever have. He opened his mouth, not resisting the cold hard cylinder as it forced it's way in so far he thought he would choke. Somehow, Dean didn't think that would be a problem shortly. A bullet would take out the back of his head and he would be burning in Hell a year earlier than he had expected to be.

The cold, almost clinical click of the hammer as it was pulled back, had Skye holding her breath.

Dean let his gaze drift to Skye, taking in her face, wishing he could remove the fear and pain, the tears in her eyes. He could have never guessed in a million years that he would have fallen for a woman like her. It was weird really. Waiting for Gordon to pull the trigger, Dean didn't see his life flash before his eyes like some movie clip. But he did recall moments that would stay with him, even in Hell, because Dean would never let them go.

That first morning, waking up in Skye's lap….the moment he realised how much he wanted what she could offer. A normal life, a family….

Seeing his father with wings, the smiles that Connor had only for him….the bike race in some looted Walmart in Denver with Dean having a moment to taste what it would be like to be a father…

Getting Sam back and seeing his brother slowly open up to Elise. Driving to Southern Wyoming with his brother and father by his side while he raced to save the woman he loved.

Dean would never say he'd had a perfect life and it sure as hell had given him more pain and heart ache than anyone should ever suffer. But the good times were so pure, so strong for Dean. He didn't want to lose them, dammit. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live so badly. To see what else was around corner and share it with these people he loved.

" I love you…" Skye managed to say without her voice betraying her. She held his gaze even as her vision blurred with tears. It wasn't right!

A single tear welled up in his eyes and slid out of the corner of one eye, past his ear to be lost in his hair as he heard the trigger slowly drawing back, Gordon's eyes gleaming with an almost inhuman look of triumph…..before the hammer clicked hollowly.

Skye gasped for air, a broken sob tearing from her as she fought to comprehend what had happened. The gun hadn't fired? Was this another of Gordon's tricks?

Gordon looked at the gun in surprise and confusion, before he pulled the trigger again.

Dean caught a flash of blonde hair out of the corner of one eye, just for the briefest moment before it was gone again.

Click! The hammer struck hollowly again…..

A set of kind, loving eyes drew Dean's attention, before they faded again the next instant. Leaving Dean with a strange sense of calm.

Click! Another misfire.

Gordon couldn't understand why it was happening, why the gun was simply refusing to fire. He wrenched it out of Dean's mouth, ignoring the cry of pain it elicited. With a snarl of anger, Gordon threw the gun across the room and looked on in shock as it fired the instant it hit the floor. The bullet shattered a lamp, making both Dean and Skye jump.

Then another sound filled the air. The sound of wings before the front screen door was torn from it's hinges and disappeared.

Gordon backed away from Dean, turning towards the new threat, his eyes widening as he properly took in for the first time, the sight of John Winchester, winged half demon.

John's eyes were all but black, his wings shuddering with rage and anticipation. He looked at the scene before him, noting the blood on Dean, unable to shake the image he had witnessed through the door, of a gun in Dean's mouth. Skye was looking bloodied and battered too.

The anger in John was like a basket of snakes, roiling and sliding through his veins as he stepped into the house and looked at Gordon. " That's my boy, you bastard. My blood…. My FUCKING SON!"

The house shook with John's voice and for the first time, Gordon felt fear spark inside him. He tried to shrug it off and slid his hand into his pocket, reaching for the one back up weapon he had brought with him to deal with John. Something the half demon bastard would never see coming.

Dean shook his head, trying to clear his vision as he saw his father there looking some sort of pissed off arc angel. Dad had found them? How the hell had he found them? Dean suddenly wanted to laugh, momentarily overwhelmed by his emotions. It was almost as if he'd stepped back in time suddenly, back to the days when he hunted with his father. A punk kid that obeyed orders and made his first real kill when he was sixteen. A loyal son who had believed with his heart and soul that his father would always be there to protect him….until the Demon took that from him. Until Dad gave his life for Dean and left him broken, no one to fall back on as he struggled to save Sam from that Yellow Eyed Bastard.

But that was the past. Dad has proven time and time again that his family came first, giving his life, his blood, even those crazy ass wings he now carried….to keep the ones he loved safe. And here he was again, face to face with Gordon. As juvenile as it was, Dean wanted to yell out to Gordon that he was well and truly fucked now.

"Dean?" It was a question in the form of a single word, John's gaze never leaving Gordon, his guard up still. John needed to know Dean's current status before he proceeded, needed to hear from his own lips, that his boy was alright…before he tore Gordon apart with his bare hands.

"We're okay. Watch your back."

John picked up everything in that sentence. Dean was hurting, Skye was hurting. But they would be alright….

"Never thought you'd change sides, John." Gordon spat, his hand still in his pocket, secure with his unseen weapon.

"Gordon? Shut the fuck up." John snapped irritably. " Stop painting yourself as some freaking saviour of the known world. You're a murdering son of bitch who's morals are so fucked up you couldn't see straight on a clear day."

Gordon laughed for a moment, before his smile dissolved into a cold, emotionless mask. "You know? I'd be insulted if that wasn't coming from a mongrel demon bastard. " His hand slid out of the pocket, holding a long silver pen gun that fired a moment later.

John felt the impact in his chest and was forced to take a step back. A red blossoming rose of blood was growing through his shirt and John all but snarled at how it stung. "That's it?"

"Give it time, flyboy….holy water, ground up communion host and pure rock salt…that's got to be a bitch once that's in your veins." Gordon explained smugly. " A nasty bitch of a mixture I've been using for a while now."

John looked back down at the wound again, feeling the acid hot burn crawling out across his chest, his heart beating faster, a sweat breaking out on his skin. It was already beginning to sap his strength. It was moving out from the wound like the poison in a snake bite. If John had been able to rest and maybe draw the bullet out of his body, he would have been alright…but there was no chance of that happening. John had to move now, had to take down Gordon while he was capable of doing so.

Gordon let the one shot pen gun drop to the floor and took a knife out from his belt, swapping it from one hand to the other as he crouched and signalled John to come at him.

Coiling his body back like a cobra ready to strike, John's wings tucked in behind him, out of harms way as he dived forward in a heavy tackle that took Gordon around the waist. He felt the bite of the blade in his right side, a growl of pain tearing from him before the pair hit the ground hard and tumbled in a wild flurry of punches and blows.

Dean had regained feeling in his arms at last, although the pain that was pulsating from his shoulder was making him wish he hadn't. His wrists too were a mess, torn and bloody where the tape had chafed and lacerated the skin, leaving them sticky with blood. But now that he had his hands free, Dean was able to lean down and tear the tape off his feet, leaving his chair as soon as he could move and rushing to Skye's side. She was looking pale, too pale for Dean's liking. "Let me look, babe. Come on…"

Gently pulling Skye's hand away from her bullet wound, Dean was briefly relieved to see that the wound didn't immediately begin pumping blood again. Her jeans were soaked, but as he carefully moved her leg, grimacing at the hiss of pain he heard from Skye, he could see the exit wound. Gordon's shot hadn't caught an artery although the bleeding was still a problem.

"You're going to be okay, Skye." Dean promised, tearing away the bottom of his shirt and looping it around her leg, tying off the wound as best he could.

Skye slid her free arm around Dean and hugged him close, burying her face in his shoulder and closing her eyes. A tremble ran through her body as Dean slid his arms around her too. They'd come too damn close and even now it wasn't over. Behind them, Gordon and John were still fighting.

"I'll find something to open that cuff. Hang on." Dean cupped a hand to Skye's cheek for a moment, his gut clenching at the bruising that was marring her skin. God, he wanted Gordon to pay for that. The lamp that had been shattered earlier, had a wire frame holding the lampshade on. Dean went over to it, working a strand of wire back and forth furiously, his attention torn between watching his father fighting and making sure Skye was alright.

John was kicked in the stomach by Gordon, who used both feet to push the winged hunter off him. John should have been thrown backwards, but his wings snapped out to halt his backward momentum and Gordon barely had time to sit up, before John dived forward again. Both men were bloodied and bruised across their faces from exchanging punches and with each passing minute, John could feel his body succumbing to the poison within it. His muscles were contracting, his veins burning with a liquid heat that was now moving down each arm from his chest. His side was wet with his blood too, making his shirt cling to him.

This fight had to end. John didn't have time to keep fucking around with this waste of a human being. His body wasn't going to last at this rate.

Gordon brought the knife up, aiming to plunge it through John's throat, when it's arc was blocked by John's hand. A shocked scream of pain exploded from Gordon as his wrist was suddenly twisted with the sound of a wet branch breaking. It flopped uselessly, the knife tumbling to the ground where John kicked it away.

Blood was starting to slide up John's throat and he spat, tasting a mixture of copper and sulphur on his lips that warned him he was running out of time.

John grabbed Gordon by the shirt and lifted him up, snapping a series of hard, piston-like punches that broke the black hunter's nose, his cheek, opened up a cut above one eye. John knew he was supposed to stop, some part of his subconscious aware that he was bathing his wedding ring, that sacred connection to Mary, in this bastard's blood. But John also knew that Mary would have never tolerated this asshole hurting her son, either. Mary was a fierce fighter for her family, as much as John had ever been.

Gordon's eyes were glazed when John finally stopped. Well, one eye was anyway. The other had closed up, one side of Gordon's face so badly beaten, it would never recover. But even so, a sound rattled up through his bloody lips, shaking his body.

It took John a moment to realise that the son of a bitch was laughing. What the hell was he laughing about?

Gordon's one remaining hand pawed drunkenly at his shirt, pulling it aside to reveal a device strapped to his body. But not just a device, there was a row of eight sticks of gelignite strapped around Gordon's midriff. How the hell had John missed that? He was slipping in his old age, that was for sure. His time as a hunter, crossing paths with so many weapons suppliers over the years that were ex-military, gave him a working knowledge of some explosives. John knew a deadman's switch when he saw one and although this was a little more hi-tech than John would have ever thought Gordon could build, there was no mistaking it's purpose.

Gordon was dying. His heart was slowing down with each beat, shock and the battering he had taken at John's hands setting off a chain of events that could now longer be stopped. "I…..win…"

The words were slurred and soft, but John heard them. The moment that deadman's switch registered that Gordon's pulse was gone, it would detonate. Looking up to Dean and Skye, he saw Dean was still picking the cuffs, both of them nursing leg wounds that would slow them down.

John stood up, thinking he could grab both Skye and Dean, use his wings to get them out of there. His legs gave out from under him, dumping John on his ass, the room spinning wildly. Damn it…not now. There was no time.

"Dad!" Dean was suddenly behind John, pulling him away from Gordon before he appeared in John's vision, crouched in front of him, trying to ascertain if his father was alright. "Hey! Hey, you okay?"

" No time. Bomb…there's a fucking bomb, Dean. Get out."

"A what?" The blood drained from Dean's face. He whipped around, seeing Gordon lying a few feet away, shuddering as his breath became more laboured. The sticks of gelignite were in clear view now. "Holy shit…"

John lurched to his feet, grabbing Dean by the shoulders and pushing him towards Skye. "Get out of here, now, Dean!"

"What?" Dean hesitated, realising his father wasn't moving to follow him.

"DEAN!!" Skye was frantically picking at the cuff, trying to unlock it. She had no idea where Connor was. All she could recall was that Gordon had thrown him in that bedroom. Skye had to get to him, had to get him to safety. The cuff suddenly opened and fell away, Skye trying to get to her feet, her injured leg sliding out from under her as the seconds ticked by.

There was only one play to be made. John could see that. He'd done his time in Nam, had lost a lot of good friends to mines. Had watched good men get opened up like a tin of corned beef by a grenade they'd thrown themselves on. That much gelignite? Was going to level this whole house.

With one last push on Dean's shoulder's towards Skye, John made his move. He grabbed Gordon by the arm and a leg, drawing on every last ounce of strength his body to muster, the adrenaline coming to his aid and lending him the desperate strength he needed as he lifted the dying hunter and hurled him across the room, into the stone fireplace that sat against one wall. It would absorb some of the blast as John then pivoted and threw himself at Dean and Skye.

The room shattered as the bomb exploded, fire bellowing out with a cloud of debris and smoke.

John had already been on the move, tackling Dean and Skye, forcing them both to the ground, shielding them with his wings as everything collapsed around them, burying them all in rubble……

**xxxXXXxxxx**

_A/N2: Yes, it's another cliffhanger. LOL It wouldn't be me otherwise, would it?? I'm already working on the next chapter...you won't have to wait long. ;)_


	12. Can't Rain All The Time

_A/N: Happy Mother's Day everyone! Okay, so here we go, a new chapter at last. This one is a LOT quieter than the last one. Hopefully It's not boring though... I'm slowly aiming to wrap this story up..but the ride's not over yet, folks. As always, I want to give my love and appreciation to LovinJackson and Deb for putting up with my constant doubts over whether this chapter was any good or not. And thanks to everyone who reviews! You have no idea how very much you make me smile with your reviews!! _

_Also, I have a new Dean/Skye vid up at my Youtube page. It's also at my FileFront page if anyone wants to download it. Links are on my Bio page. _

_Enjoy!! Leave some love so I know people are still reading this..._

_It won't rain all the time.  
The sky won't fall forever.  
And though the night seems long,  
your tears won't fall forever - __**Jane Siberry** _

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

Over the years, Bobby had buried a lot of people. Burned a whole lot more. It never got any easier. If it wasn't the smell? It was the faces that stayed with you. People you couldn't save, evil sons of bitches you hoped would never haunt your dreams…..friends and family that would always haunt them.

After the conversation with Gordon, Bobby had paced the room, trying to think of what he could do, how he could help John and find Dean and Skye before it was too late. But there was nothing he could do. Running around like a damn idiot with no real idea of where to look wasn't going to do a damn bit of good and besides that, Bobby couldn't leave Missouri and Elise alone. Not with Sam barely conscious.

So Bobby did the only he could do. He set to the task of painstakingly preparing Jo to be taken back to her mother. The girl was laid out on the bed, a sheet beneath her that Bobby was now wrapping around her body. It would be the easiest way for him to transport her back to Ellen so they could give the girl a decent funeral.

Smoothing the sheet around and making sure it was wrapped tight, taking great care as he worked, Bobby no longer saw Jo's young face, but that of his wife. It was almost a lifetime ago…or at least it seemed so, that Bobby had killed Elizabeth. It was something he would never recover from, leading him to remain single and alone to save himself any more heart ache.

Bobby didn't want to be the bearer of that sort of heartache for Ellen, but the task had fallen to him, so he would shoulder it with quiet dignity and take the girl home to her mother. So many people had been lost since the world fell apart and it was far from over. Sure the Winchesters had stopped the Yellow Eyed Demon's plans, but so many demons had escaped to join the already vast number of possessed souls in the world. That was going to take a long time to undo, especially with the small number of hunters they had left. But it wasn't like they had a choice….the world would come back from the brink, given time to heal.

Dragging a tired hand over his face, Bobby realised his cheeks were wet. He was getting soft in his old age, shedding tears for people well beyond his help now. Walking to the door, Bobby stepped outside, needing to take in some fresh air and noting that sunset was only an hour or so away. The air was still and quiet, reminding Bobby that the town was deserted.

A muffled explosion filled the air, Bobby watching a large cloud of smoke rise up over the other side of town.

Several doors down, Missouri rushed outside and took in the sight, throwing Bobby a frightened glance.

"Get back inside, lock the door and salt all the entrances, Missouri." Bobby was already on the move, heading to the Impala and pulling out the wires under the dashboard to hotwire the car. Dean could bitch about it to him later….as long as they got the boy back. With a roar of the engine and a spray of gravel, Bobby backed out of the parking lot and headed towards the rising column of smoke he could see. He hoped like hell that he wasn't too late….

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

"They're all over me! Get them off!! Dean! Dean, get them off me!! Please!!" Sam slapped and clawed at himself frantically, water slopping all over the small bathroom. Elise was drenched, fighting to grab hold of his hands before he hurt himself.

Sam lashed out wildly, trying to launch himself out of the bath, desperate to get away from the mass of black, squirming bodies that were crawling all over him.

"Sam! Stop it! There's nothing there!" Elise begged, taking a backhand to the face that knocked her back across the room. Elise hit the wall and slid down, dazed by the blow and tasting blood in her mouth. One moment Sam had been lying asleep, his hand still holding Elise's as he soaked in the cold bath, his skin still flushed and radiating heat despite the ice around him. The next he had exploded in an all out panic attack that Elise couldn't understand or seem to calm down.

Missouri appeared in the doorway , rushing to Sam and trying to push him back into the bath again. "No, Sam! You gotta stay in here, hun…"

"Get them off me! Please…." Sam begged, his pupils still wide, his eyes unfocused as he scratched and clawed at himself.

Elise stumbled to her feet and went to Missouri's aid, grabbing one of Sam's hands and pinning it against her to hold him down as she slid to her knees beside the bath. "Sam, stop it. Please, mate…" She looked up at Missouri. "What the bloody hell is he seeing?"

Missouri closed her eyes for a moment and opened her mind to Sam, sensing that the boy had no defences up at all in his state. The images assaulted her, fear and outright panic filling her as she witnessed what had Sam so traumatised…

_It had seemed like the perfect hiding place at the time. Sam had been unsure at first about playing hide and seek in Uncle Bobby's yard. There were so many cars and wrecks that it was daunting for the six year old at first. But Dean had started to call him a girl and a baby, making Sam agree to the stupid game after all. _

_Uncle Bobby had warned them about climbing insides the wrecks and the dangers of tetanus, making sure Dean understood that it meant a "big ass needle" as Uncle Bobby had put it. _

_So Sam had steered away from the cars and chosen to climb up over the woodpile beside the house. If he could get high enough, Dean would never see him. But all it had taken, was for one dislodged log of wood to fall, taking Sam down with it and opening up a world of nightmares for the little boy. _

_As he hit the ground, almost knocking the wind out of himself, Sam felt something run over his face. He tried to brush it away, and felt something else run over the back of his hand. Sitting up, Sam opened his eyes and began screaming as he realised he was covered in dozens of baby huntsman spiders. "They're all over me! Get them off!! Dean! Dean, get them off me!! Please!!" _

_Slapping and swatting at them, Sam was still screaming when Dean ran around the side of the house and picked his brother up, barely even stumbling as he carried Sam towards the coil of old garden hose that Bobby kept out front for filling up the dogs water bowls._

_Dumping his brother on the ground, Dean ran to the hose and turned the water on as hard as he could, aiming the spray towards Sam. " Get your shirt and jeans off, Sammy! Throw them on the ground!"_

_The water was so cold that Sam was chattering with cold after a couple of minutes of being stripped down to his underwear. He kept swatting and stamping at the spiders, combing his fingers through his hair frantically, sure he could still feel spiders climbing all over him. _

_Dean dropped the hose and ran to his brother, stomping every spider he could see, snarling as each one went crunch under his boots until they were all washed away or dead. Then Dean grabbed hold of his brother and hugged him close. " I'm sorry, Sammy, I'm sorry. It's okay now. They're gone. They can't hurt you anymore."_

Missouri gently pulled away from Sam's mind with tears in her eyes. "Spiders…he's reliving a piece of his past.."

Elise let go of Sam's arm, taking another hit in the process before Missouri caught hold of him and held Sam down. Stepping around the psychic, Elise cupped her hands to Sam's face and forced him to look at her. "Sam, listen to me. The spiders are gone. You hear me? There are no spiders…now snap out of it, mate, cause your scaring the shit out of me."

Sam blinked, confusion slowly melting away to show a flicker of recognition. "Elise?"

Her heart leapt in her chest, a wide smile of relief bursting forth as tears filled her eyes and spilt down her cheeks. " Yeah, Sam, it's just me. You're going to be okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Sam nodded, seeming to accept that and take some comfort from it as he relaxed at last and sagged back down into the bath again, closing his eyes.

Elise gently ran some of the cool water over him, brushing his wet fringe back out of his eyes as she tried to hold herself together. Her hands were shaking as she sat down heavily, exhausted and trying not to cry. "We have to get that fever down, Missouri. We're going to lose him…"

"No we won't, baby." Missouri said firmly, putting a hand on Elise's shoulder. "That's boy's a fighter and he'll get through this. Just stay with him. He knows you're here and it means everything to him. Just hold on."

Elise nodded, reaching up to hold Sam's hand again, hoping it was enough.

**xxxxXXXxxxx**

The throaty rumble of the Impala was the only sound as Bobby pulled up at the shattered remains of the farmhouse. He stepped out, seeing the smoke and a few small scattered fires amidst the destruction. What the hell had happened here? At first, Bobby was hoping that it was a simple broken gas main, maybe something left on when the owners had fled in the face of the Hell gate opening.

But his hopes were dashed, the moment he spied the twisted remains of Gordon's Camino still parked beside the house and he detected the faint sound of a child crying. Breaking into a cautious jog, Bobby headed for the noise, picking up his pace as he recognised the tiny blond figure of Connor standing near the ruins of the house. He scooped the little boy up and rushed him back to the Impala, sitting him in the passenger seat to check him over. Once Bobby was sure Connor was unharmed, he gently asked," Connor? Where's your Mom? Where's Dean?"

Connor pointed to the house, shuddering as he sucked in a wet, broken hiccup of a breath. "M-mommy… Dee… in house. Poppy try to 'ave her but it all fall down." Fat, hot tears were running down his cheeks and Bobby drew the boy into a hug.

"It'll be okay, Connor." Bobby pulled back and used a thick, calloused thumb to gently smudge away Connor's tears. "You stay inside the Impala, okay? I'm gonna be right back."

Connor nodded and climbed in further along the seat. His lip quivered as he pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them close. The car smelt of Dean and Mom and even his Poppy. Connor watched through teary eyes as Bobby closed the car door and turned back towards the house. Connor wondered if the house was going to eat Bobby too? It had eaten everyone else Connor loved. Maybe it would come after him and eat him too? Would he see Mommy then? Cause Connor was scared sitting alone in the Impala…

"John! Dean?!" Bobby called, pulling aside pieces of dry wall and splinters sections of roof timbers. "Skye? Dammit, someone answer me!"

The whole place had been levelled, the only part of it still standing was part of the fireplace and judging by the red staining and shredded remains of an arm that Bobby could see, Gordon Walker had been there when he died. As far as Bobby was concerned, it'd been too damn quick for the son of a bitch and he hoped that he was going to rot in Hell.

There was a soft groan behind him, feminine sounding. Bobby stepped up his digging, ignoring the splinters and shards that cut his hand or dug under his finger nails. Clawing through the debris until his fingertips brushed a soft, feathery wing, before Bobby pulled away a sheet of dry wall to find John laying face down, bloodied and unmoving. He felt for a pulse and let out a breath Bobby hadn't actually been aware he'd been holding in. The pulse was thready, but it was there and that gave Bobby hope at least that they could do something for John.

Rolling John over, being careful of those massive black wings, especially as one looked like it had been broken when the roof had come down; Bobby found Dean and Skye there, sheltered from most of the blast by John. Skye let out a cough, her eyes flickering open and looking around before they settled on Bobby.

"Easy, darlin', easy…" Bobby soothed as Skye reached out and grabbed hold of his hands. He helped her to sit up when she began to struggle upright, her eyes wide and panicked as she took in deep, shaky breaths that ended in a coughing fit before she managed to whisper one word.

"Connor…"

Bobby could see Skye staring towards a section of the collapsed house, her eyes filling with tears.

"Skye…Skye, listen to me!" Bobby gently turned Skye's face until she was looking at him. " Connor's alright. He's in the Impala, not a scratch on him. You hear me? He's alright…"

It took Skye a moment to truly focus on what Bobby was saying and take it all in, before she was trying to get to her feet, desperate to see her son. Bobby helped her up, supporting Skye's weight with one arm around her waist and her arm over his shoulder as they limped over to the Impala.

Skye barely had the Impala door open before Connor was leaping in her arms. " Mommy! Poppy foun' me! Poppy good at hide and 'eek!"

Bobby helped her to sit down on the seat, patting her shoulder as he smiled at the scene before him. " I'll go help the others…"

Skye barely registered Bobby's words, too busy hugging her son to her. Connor was crying now, his little arms around her neck in almost a stranglehold but Skye couldn't care less at this moment. Her hand was rubbing her son's back as she tried to soothe him, prying him off finally to make her own assessment of Connor's appearance. " You sure you're okay, sweetie? You didn't get hurt at all?"

Connor shook his head, his little face solemn. "Poppy tol' me hide and he'd fine you…but house fell down."

Skye pulled Connor close again, hugging him tightly as she fought off the sobs threatening to burst forth from her. All Skye could remember was John saying there was a bomb and Dean being pushed towards her before everything disappeared in a loud roar and a white flash. Looking towards the ruins of the house, Skye started praying quietly that she would see Dean again, that he was alright. He had to be alright. John too. Skye couldn't bear to think otherwise.

"_Time of death…10.41."_

It was such a small sentence that had rocked Dean's world to it's foundations, leaving him and Sam orphans. All his life, Dean had fought to keep his family safe, just as Dad taught him. Fighting side by side with his father on hunts, relying on his presence even more when Sam left for Stanford, even if his silence and anger told John otherwise.

John had been the rock, the constant in Dean's life. He had seemed superhuman at times with what he could take and just keep fighting. Dean had always worried about losing his father, nearly going crazy when John had suddenly vanished on him in New Orleans. But even then, Dean had thought he would find his father. Because John Winchester was the toughest man he knew and nothing would ever take him down.

But Dean had been wrong. There had been one thing. One weakness. His sons.

Dean had been dying and without hesitation, his father had made a deal, sold his soul. The guilt Dean carried over that night had been like a fist wrapped around his heart, making it hard for it to beat properly without pain. Dad had died and Dean had been left to protect Sam all alone.

But Dean wasn't alone. Not anymore. His father had come back. Had given his own blood so that Dean would live again. Sacrificing again for his son without hesitation….the same way he had pushed Dean and Skye to the ground. There'd been a brief moment, barely a second of time for Dean to register that his father was between him and the blast, before the world had gone dark.

"Dad?" The word came out more like a croak, Dean's throat dry and scratchy, causing him to cough. Pain sparked through his head and he rolled to one side, drawing his knees up and groaning. It felt like Gordon had cracked his skull when he'd pistol whipped him. Dean shivered suddenly, recalling the gun being in his mouth and how close he'd come to dying at the hands of Gordon Walker, the single biggest threat to Sam there was other than the Demon.

Although Dean was pretty sure he could scratch Gordon's name off that list now. That thought had Dean's good eye snapping open, the other one now too swollen for him to even see any light through. He struggled up onto one elbow, looking around for his father, trying to not to hear that doctor's voice in his mind, calling time of death again and again on some sickening loop. "Dad?"

"Dean!"

The last thing Dean had expected to hear was Bobby's voice, but as the older hunter stumbled through the debris and crouched down in front of him, Dean was damn glad to see the man.

"You alright, can you move?"

"Where's Dad? Skye? Shit…where's Skye? Connor…" Dean suddenly felt overwhelmed by panic. Skye and Connor had been relying on him to keep them safe and he didn't even know where they were. He twisted around as fast as his battered body would let him, until Bobby's sharp voice pulled him up short.

"Dean! Quit it! They're alright. Skye and Connor are in the Impala. Can you stand? I'm gonna need some help to get John out of here." Bobby nodded towards the still figure of John lying a few feet from Dean.

"Dad?" Dean's voice was suddenly quieter, filled with trepidation as he crawled forward to his father and reached out to check his pulse with a hand that betrayed him by shaking. His mouth was completely dry, his heart racing. _Not again….please, no, not again. _Dean couldn't do it again, couldn't burn his father again. The scars were too fresh, too new from the last time…they always would be. How would he ever face his brother and tell him that Dad had died for him again when Dean only had a year to live himself?

"Dean, he's alive…" Bobby assured him quietly, realising what must have been going through the kid's mind.

It wasn't until Dean felt his father's thready pulse with his own hand, that he felt ready to believe that. It finally shut the damn doctor's voice out of his head, because there was no way he was losing his father now. Where there was a pulse, there was a fighting chance.

"Bobby, help me get him up." Dean gently pulled his father up into a sitting position, grimacing at the way one wing seemed to hang. Maybe it could be strapped until it healed? It was never easy, seeing his father unconscious and injured. It brought back too many painful memories of nursing his father when John would stumble in the door from a hunt, torn open and bleeding, relying on Dean to look out for him while Sammy was asleep in another room.

Bobby helped Dean to his feet, not letting go of his arm until he was sure that Dean wasn't going to fall over. He'd seen the wound on Dean's leg, the blood soaked through his jeans. On top of the battering the kid had taken, Bobby was amazed that Dean was even on his feet in the first place. " You sure you can do this, Dean? Maybe I can manage John on my own…"

"I'm fine. Let's do this." Dean insisted, leaning down to take one of his father's arm. Bobby grabbed the other, the pair of them struggling to lift John up between them. He was a big man already and dead weight too, but it was the wings that made John so heavy to lift now. Bobby wondered how the hell feathers could weigh so much as they stumbled towards the Impala.

Bobby took more and more of John's weight on himself as they crossed the open space towards the car. He could see that Dean was struggling, fighting to put one step in front of the other. The kid had stamina, but there was only so much punishment a body could take before it would it drop and anyone with half a brain could see Dean was close to collapse.

Skye opened the Impala doors for them, gently ushering Connor into the back seat and stepping aside as Bobby and Dean tried to slide John into the passenger seat. His wings made what should have been a relatively simple job, a nightmare of gently tucking in limbs and feathered appendages until John was half lying across the front seat enough for them to close the door.

Without warning, Dean's knees buckled and Bobby barely caught the younger man in time.

"Easy, Dean…I got you." Bobby looked up as Skye stepped forward to help him. She was shaking, her pupils wider than normal. Skye was obviously in shock and judging by the way she was favouring one leg, she was close to collapse herself.

It was at that point that Bobby wished he could resurrect Gordon and make the bastard suffer long term for this. With Skye's help, Bobby was able to slide Dean into the back seat. He watched as Dean curled into himself, letting Skye gently pull him towards her until his head was in her lap. Skye gently ran her fingers threw his hair, speaking to him soothingly while Connor watched from beside his mother without saying a word.

The trip back to the motel was quiet, Bobby turning on the cassette player to keep both Connor and Dean calm, although truth be known, Bobby found the music soothing himself….he just wasn't about to admit to Dean that the kid had given him a taste for Black Sabbath over the years.

Bobby would never hear the end of it from John if he did.

**xxxxxXXXxxxxx**

Missouri heard the Impala before she saw it. The night air was so still outside and she found herself checking and double checking the salt lines that had been put up after Bobby's departure.

Pulling back the curtain to peer out the window, the sight of the Impala's headlights cutting through the darkness and pulling into the parking lot was a welcome sight, bringing a smile to Missouri's face.

"Elise, hun? Bobby's back…looks like he's found them." Missouri went to the bathroom doorway and looked in on Sam and Elise. The girl was still sat by Sam's side, her hand never leaving his.

"Dean?" Sam's eyes fluttered open for a moment as he spoke his brother's name, his body feebly trying to sit up in the bath tub, limbs jerking disjointedly.

"Shhhh, he'll be here shortly." Elise soothed, using her free hand to sweep Sam's unruly hair out of his eyes.

" I'll go see if Bobby needs any help. You alright here?"

Elise looked up at Missouri and nodded. " We're good, mate. Go."

"_Missouri! Get this goddamn door open, woman! I've got wounded people out here!" _

" Bobby Singer, you take that tone with me again? And you'll be walking back to South Dakota, you hear me?"

Bobby almost fell in the door with John as it opened, dragging him through the doorway, the winged hunter still unconscious. The weight was almost breaking Bobby's back as he struggled to drag his friend to a nearby bed. Behind them, Skye was stumbling through the door with Dean, walking slowly, allowing him to help her with each painstaking step, however slow. If he collapsed, Skye had no doubts that he would take her to the ground with him.

Connor shuffled close behind Skye, his hand locked onto her belt, unwilling to lose that contact with his mother. His eyes were wide, bottom lip jutting out even though there were no tears to fall. Dark circles hung under his eyes now, the little boy simply overwhelmed by everything. But he had his Mommy, Dee and Poppy back. One part of this frightening world seemed to be back in place again.

Bobby eased John down onto a bed, careful of his broken wing -- and it would never feel right, thinking of his friend as some damn pigeon-- as he tried to make the hunter comfortable. The was a sheen of sweat over the man, a light tremble in his limbs. Bobby scrubbed a tired hand through his beard and stretched, listening to his spine pop in protest. He was getting too old to be hauling half demons around. Hell, Bobby was getting too old for a lot of this shit. But retirement wasn't exactly an option, was it?

" How's Dad?" Dean demanded, still leaning heavily against Skye, looking bloody and exhausted. He hated the fact his vision was cut down to one eye at the moment, depth perception all screwed to hell and everything blurring in and out of focus every so often.

" Dean, come on. Let me get you into the other room and lying down? I'll get you cleaned up and then you can come back out and sit here with John if you want later. But you need to get cleaned up first. You're ready to fall on your ass." Skye argued softly. She admired his stubbornness, always had…but not like this. Not when it was doing more harm than good.

Dean straightened up then, looking around the room with a puzzled expression. " Where's Sam? Sammy?" The lack of reply had Dean taking a step forward, the puzzlement deepening into concern and fear now after all he had been through with Gordon. If that son of a bitch had taken his brother…. " Sammy! Answer me!"

"Dean, I'm sure he's--…" Skye began before she was cut off by Elise's voice coming from the bathro0m.

"_Dean? Dean, in here!"_

Without hesitation or even a moment's thought to if his knees would give out under him, Dean pushed himself away from Skye and stumbled to the bathroom, falling heavily against the frame with a grunt of pain. His one good eye widened in horror at the sight of Sam lying submerged in a bath of icy water. " Sam? What the fuck happened to him?"

"Bobby said it was some of poison. We're trying to keep his body temperature down." Elise explained, suddenly feeling very exposed and alone in the bathroom. There was no denying the anger and fear she could feel radiating off of Dean right now.

Dean lurched forward, taking a few shaky steps before he fell to his knees and crawled to the bath tub's edge. Elise immediately withdrew, giving the brothers some space.

"Sammy?" Dean gently took Sam by the chin and turned his brother's head towards him, trying not to panic as it rolled a little too easily. A little too limply. " Sam? Come on, dude…open your eyes. Look at me, Sammy."

A flicker of hazel rewarded Dean before he heard his name whispered from Sam's lips. He pushed himself up onto his knees more and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against his brothers and fighting back the urge to laugh hysterically. " Yeah, dude. I'm here. I'm right here."

Sam shifted a little in the bath, his leg snapping out uncoordinatedly, hitting the wall with a thud as he jerked and shivered. His eyes opened after a moment, sliding slowly around the room before they settled on Dean and a lopsided grin appeared on Sam's face. The wide pupils and glassy appearance made Dean's stomach knot up. " You with me, Sammy?"

"You're late…and you look like shit." Sam suddenly snorted with laughter, letting it dissolve into a childish giggle. " I'm gonna have all the cake now. Dad said you weren't supposed to be fighting…"

"Dean?" Skye appeared in the doorway, cupping a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp of horror as she saw the state Sam was in.

Sam nudged his brother, still grinning. " I think she likes you, Dean. You should take her to the prom…"

Dean rolled his eyes, trying to act calm when inside he was utterly freaked by his brother's behaviour. " Thanks Dr. Love…but I think I have it covered." There'd been plenty of times over the years when Dean had nursed a delirious Sam. But it didn't make it any easier each time.

" Just watch out for Jo…I think she's jealous, dude. She spiked the punch…" Sam mumbled, reaching over to latch onto Dean's shirt, his long fingers snaring the material weakly. "Watch your back…" The hand dropped into the bath with a splash, Sam sinking down again as his head rolled back, his eyes closing.

"Sammy?" Dean reached out and felt for a pulse. It was too fast for Dean's liking, but strong. That had to be a positive sign, right? His brother was strong, he'd get through this. Dean wasn't willing to accept anything else. Not with Dad lying out in the other room as well, shot full of some sort of concoction made to hurt demons.

"Dean, you need to rest. Someone needs to look at your injuries….please?" Skye pleaded quietly. She was leaning against the doorframe herself now, worn out and feeling lightheaded. Blood had begun to fill her sneaker from the bullet wound in her thigh. Wrapping her arms around herself, Skye shivered, feeling cold. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep.

"I'm not leaving him." Dean informed Skye quietly. " Sam needs to know I'm here."

"Skye, honey? Why don't you come with me? I'll see to it that Dean's looked after…." Missouri had come up to the doorway and she gently took Skye by the arm, finding it disconcerting when Skye allowed herself to be led to the bedroom without a word of protest. She seemed distant, away in a world of her own as shock took a firm hold of her.

Missouri had made note of the younger woman's wounds when Skye had first entered the room. Bobby was tending to John, Dean had pulled his usual stunt of putting his brother before himself…but Skye had held back, kept her injuries quiet, too concerned for Connor and Dean to think about herself. Just like a wife and mother. Everyone else came first.

Now she was in shock, on the verge of collapse. Missouri would have to give Skye a sharp talking to about that later. As she led Skye towards the master bedroom, she could see Bobby sat down beside John, wrapping his wounds and making sure John was on the road to recovery. They weren't sure yet what Gordon had done to John, but it had left the hunter in a bad way.

Connor was sat next to Bobby, quietly watching everything and stroking John's hair from time to time, obviously trying to comfort his poppy. Missouri felt her throat tightening and admonished herself for being soft. She gave the scene one last glance before she closed the door, leaving her alone to tend to Skye's injuries.

**xxxxXXXxxxx**

"What the hell happened? Who did this?" Dean looked over his shoulder at Elise, noting that she hadn't left the room, preferring to keep in the back ground, her eyes never leaving Sam. It actually meant a lot to Dean to see Elise there still. It told him that this girl really did care for his brother and Dean was glad for that, because if he needed to know that Sam would be alright when his deal came due. He wanted Sam to have another woman in his life after Jess, another shot at happiness. The kid deserved it.

"Her name was Jo. She said she knew you.."

Sam's earlier comment hit home and Dean swivelled to face Elise, almost overbalancing as the room suddenly spun dizzily. He flailed out and grabbed the bath for support, putting his other hand up to Elise as she took a step forward to help him. "I'm okay….back off."

"Fine, tough guy…didn't mean to step on your toes." Elise sat back against the wash basin again and folded her arms.

" No that's--….you didn't--…" Dean stumbled, before he sighed, shaking his head at how he'd just screwed up. "You said her name was Jo? Was she small built? Blonde?"

" So she did know you…?"

"Yeah." Dean scowled, thinking about how Jo had drugged him, Skye and Connor. " When I get my hands on that bitch, I swear I'm going to--…."

"I wouldn't bother getting too worked up." Elise picked at her bloodstained shirt, realising she needed to get out of these clothes. She'd tried to block it out of her mind since coming into the bathroom. Sam's condition had taken priority with Elise and distracted her a little from the nightmare visions she saw every time she closed her eyes.

Dean's gaze dropped to the dark stain on her clothing, his good eye widening in realisation. "You? You took her out?"

"What? Is it hard for you to think a girl could do that?" Elise demanded, sitting up straighter, on the defensive instantly. "Or just me?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what the fuck did you mean?"

"Hey!" Dean snapped, instantly bringing the argument to a halt. His jaw was set, his one good eye fixing Elise with a glare. "I wasn't saying you couldn't handle yourself, okay? I just meant you shouldn't have had to do that. That's all. I'm sorry you had to do it."

Elise blinked, taken aback by Dean's admission before she nodded. "Oh."

Dean shifted uncomfortably, every ache and pain in his body starting to announce itself with loving detail. Looking down at the stab wound in his leg, he could see the bleeding had stopped, but the wound itself was still open and angry looking. His shoulder hadn't fared much better, the pain hot and constantly throbbing where Gordon's mis-aimed shot had hit him. It was better than taking a round in the chest though…..

"You want me to take a look at that?"

Dean tilted his head to the side and despite the pain and tiredness, gave a cocky smirk to Elise. "Well I don't know what Sam might say, he could get a little jealous…"

" Your wounds, smart arse. " Elise rolled her eyes. " And Sam's not the only one who'd get jealous. Isn't that right, Skye?"

Dean's smirk froze as he turned towards the doorway….and found it empty. Elise collapsed into a fit of giggles, that only increased as he turned back and threw her a dirty look.

"Oh you're a laugh riot."

Still giggling, Elise got up and clapped a hand to Dean's shoulder. "Suck it up, tough guy. I'll go get some bandages from Bobby."

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

Sewing up bullet wounds was second nature to Bobby Singer now. He was fast and efficient, digging out the homemade slug from John's chest without too much trouble and dropping it into a cup beside on the table. The wound had been cleaned, sewn up and bandaged….but it wasn't the only one that needed tending to.

Bobby placed a hand on John's shoulder as he prepared to sew up an ugly gash that had torn open the man's shoulder. He glanced for a moment at the solemn little face of Connor beside him. " You want to go and see your Mom, buddy? It might be best if you' re not watching this."

Connor looked towards the door to the bedroom, then shook his head. He had seen how hurt his Mommy was and it scared him to see her that way. He reached out and ran his little fingers through John's hair again. " 'Tay here."

Bobby nodded at Connor, offering him a smile. "Okay, okay, little buddy. You can stay. Hey, you like puppies?'

Connor looked at Bobby, his little face an open question mark. It was all the distraction he needed to slip the needle into John's skin and begin sewing before Connor looked. "I had this dog back before your Momma met me. His name was Rumsfeld. You'd have liked him, Connor. And he'd have loved you too."

" Doggie go 'way?"

Bobby nodded, surprised to find that it still hurt to think of that that bitch Meg did to his Rottweiler. Rumsfeld had been a damn fine dog and Bobby was proud of the fact that he had died doing his job. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. He missed that dog every damn day. "Yeah, he went away. But maybe it's time I got another pup huh? If I do, you wanna help me pick it out? It can be our dog. I'll share him with you." Bobby winked at Connor.

"Okay." Connor nodded, pleased with that idea and trying to mimic the wink Bobby had given him, blinking with both eyes instead and grinning as Bobby laughed.

A groan slipped from John's lips as Bobby tied off the stitches in his shoulder. He opened his eyes, revealing them to be yellowed and bloodshot, the pupils blown wide.

" You with us, John?" Bobby leaned forward, pressing the back of his hand to John's forehead. The hunter was clammy with sweat, his body still shivering as his body fought against the poison that had weakened him.

" Bobby?" John rasped, running his tongue over dry lips before he closed his eyes again.

" No, Florance Nightingale."

" Bullshit, you don't have the legs…" John whispered, before the touch a tiny hand to his cheek had him opening his eyes again. " Connor?"

" Hi, Poppy!" Connor beamed, his smile as bright as a sun.

" Hey, Champ. You okay?" John managed a tired smile, despite the pain. He swallowed it down, forcing himself not to shudder while Connor was smiling at him. John was no stranger to doing this. Hiding his pain behind a façade. He'd done it so many times over the years when Sammy was younger. If he could spare his son that fear? Then he would do so again for Connor. The fact that Connor was beside him, gave John some indication that Dean and Skye had to be okay too.

" Poppy okay?" Connor's little hand was still on John's cheek, patting it ever so gently. " You got bites?"

John chuckled at the word Connor had used. It was like his own little term for pain or injury. " I'm fine, dude. Only a couple of bites. Bobby here is going to make them all better though."

Bobby raised an eyebrow at that. " One minute I'm Florance Nightingale….the next I'm Doctor McCoy? You reckon I can cure a rainy day now?"

"I'd settle for you being able to make coffee that didn't eat through my stomach lining." John growled, his voice strained.

"Next time I'll make sure you get the Vanilla Malt Latte…" Bobby drawled, leaning forward to inspect his handwork.

John laughed then, hissing afterwards as his body reminded him just how much bad shape it was in right now. " Dammit, Bobby…"

"Hey, I'm not the one with the taste for those froofy coffees, Winchester." Bobby joked in return as he checked over every bandage and wound. The only injury left was the wing that needed setting, but the joking had gone a long way to reassuring Connor. The little boy was sitting beside John on the bed now, smiling and relaxed, the pensiveness gone from his body.

" You alright to let me set that wing?" Bobby asked, knowing it was going to hurt like a son of a bitch.

John nodded. " Help me get comfortable first, will you? I want to move back on the bed and make some room for Connor."

Bobby stood up and carefully eased John back on the bed more until there was enough room for Connor to sit beside John easily. The little boy curled up as close as he close to his Poppy, patting his hair, an intense look on his cherubic face. "It okay, Poppy. Be brave."

John gave Connor a tight smile, then looked over his shoulder at Bobby. " Do it."

Bobby let out a silent prayer to anything listening as he set the wing, flinching at the way the bones crunched before they were back in place.

John growled through gritted teeth, fighting the urge to arch his back as the excruciating pain blossomed through his shoulder and wing. His breathing fell into a serious of sharp, shallow gasps before he suddenly sagged, the pain driving away his consciousness.

Connor sat there, watching John carefully, noting the way his chest continued to rise and fall, before he wriggled down a little and curled into the space beside John on the bed. He snuggled up as close as he could to his Poppy, pressing his head against his chest and letting the sound of his heartbeat lull him into sleep after a few minutes.

Bobby watched the pair, a hint of a smile quirking up the corner of his mouth, before he set to reapplying the salt lines to the door and window.

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

Missouri watched Skye carefully as she finished sewing up the bullet wound in her leg. The shot was luckily a through and through injury, sparing Skye the agony of having to dig out a bullet. But the blood loss had taken a toll, along with the bruising that marred Skye's face. Deep purple marks around her cheekbone and jaw where Gordon had struck her, her bottom lip was swollen and split.

Missouri saw the way Skye was now favouring her arm, noting the deep gouges around the wrist from the handcuff. Placing a hand on her shoulder, the psychic saw a flash of pain in Skye's eyes as she flinched slightly, but otherwise there was no reaction. Skye was shutting down, withdrawing more and more. The shoulder had to be strained at the very least, perhaps some ligament damage at worst. It had to be causing Skye some serious pain but it wasn't the only reason for the woman's silence.

Pushing slightly, ever so careful not to hurt her, Missouri read Skye's thoughts. At first it was a jumbled noise, full of fear and pain….but under it all was one singular thought that was cutting Skye to the bone and it made Missouri recoil sharply at first, gasping in surprise, before she grabbed hold of Skye's hands. " Oh sugar, you should have said something. It won't do you any good to keep that to yourself. Dean's going to need our help."

" Help?"

The word came out softly, but so soaked in bitterness and pain, it scared Missouri. She gave Skye's hand a gentle squeeze. "Of course, help. That boy may have made some boneheaded decisions in his life, but that doesn't mean it has to be the end of it."

" He should be in here, Missouri. Dean should resting. He nearly died tonight. He could have died… could have gone to Hell before you, me…anyone could do anything about it. Why does he keep doing that? Why does he put everyone before himself? Why doesn't he see himself as being just as important?" Skye demanded quietly, a single tear falling from her eyes before she started to shake. Coming undone at the seams emotionally.

Missouri drew Skye into a hug, mindful of her shoulder as she tried to comfort her. "I know, honey. That boy was damaged goods long before he met you. It's just the way he is, how he grew up. Sam always came first and I guess over the years, his self esteem has taken that much a beating that he doesn't see his own worth. Damn that John Winchester, I could just slap that man for letting Dean get that way."

" Don't be too hard on him. He's still here for them. It's more than my family ever did for me. " Skye blinked away her tears, knowing that John was far from perfect, but he had tried. She would never forget the look on Dean's face when John burst in the door and attacked Gordon. It was like watching a kid watch his hero in action.

" I'd slap your family too…" Missouri grumbled defensively.

" Want an address?" Skye asked, before she gave a small hitching sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

Missouri fixed Skye with a look. " Girl, you think I need you to write me down an address after you've been broadcasting it around?"

"Fine, want some company on the drive?"

Missouri laughed then, the sound soft and pleasant. She patted Skye on the hand and stood up. " You're going to lie down and get some rest, you hear me? I'll send Dean in as soon as I can make that boy see some sense…which is possibly never."

Skye snickered softly, not resisting as Missouri gently guided her back onto the bed behind her, then placed the covers over her. She was beginning to realise how very tired she was, her eyes losing the battle to stay open.

Missouri stood and watched Skye until she was satisfied by the gentle, slow rise and fall of her breathing that indicated she'd fallen asleep. Missouri slipped out of the room then, leaving the door ajar so they could keep an eye on Skye. Turning around, she found Bobby watching her from the kitchenette, drinking coffee from a chipped motel mug.

John and Connor were still asleep on the bed. Two mattresses lay crammed into the spare floor space. Bobby had obviously retrieved them from another room.

" I don't think it's a good idea for any of us to split up at the moment…." Bobby drawled, his watchful gaze sweeping the room from behind the rim of his coffee cup. It reminded Missouri of those junkyard dogs Bobby had a fondness for owning. Always watchful, always on guard to protect their territory…or the ones they loved.

" Good thing one of us is thinking. " Missouri glanced towards the bathroom, her eyes darkening with anger.

"What the hell does that mean?" Bobby set down his coffee, giving Missouri a questioning look.

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

"Look, I've only done this once before and Sam was unconscious at the time, so try to hold still, okay tough guy? I'll try not to hurt you…" Elise informed Dean with a tight, nervous smile as she laid out everything she would need to clean and treat his wounds.

Sam was lying peacefully in the bath behind them still. Every so often he would shiver and mumbled incoherently, both Elise and Dean finding it oddly reassuring because it told them at least he was still with them. Other than bringing down his temperature and waiting for Sam's fever to break, there wasn't much else they could do for him but keep a silent vigil beside him.

"Just keep the stitches small…" Dean muttered, closing his eyes.

"Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves."

Dean's eyes flew open again and he looked at Elise, a surprised smile appearing. "You are totally out of my brother's league, you know that? Sam's not the movie quote kinda guy….he'd rather bury his nose in a book."

"Not like you hard rocking, drive in movie types huh?" Elise teased, pouring some antiseptic onto a gauze pad and placing it against Dean's shoulder with a smirk.

Dean hissed in pain and glared as Elise bit back a snigger. "Hey!"

"Elise?"

Both Elise and Dean looked up towards the doorway to see Bobby standing there with Missouri. There was a sense of storm clouds gathering around the mechanic as he looked at Dean. " Elise, you want to step outside for a moment? I need to have a few words with Dean."

"Sure, I'll just finish bandaging--…"

"I'll take over. You go and get some air. I'm sure Missouri won't mind making you a coffee?"

Missouri looked at Bobby as though the hunter had lost his mind. " Do I look like Starbucks?"

"Not now, Missouri…" Bobby's tone was darker than normal and it made Missouri back down for once, rolling her eyes as she stepped back from the door and signalled to Elise. " Come on, hun…we'll let the boys have their talk."

Elise and Dean exchanged a brief look before she stood up and left the bathroom.

Bobby closed the door behind him and knelt down beside Dean, taking over from where Elise had left it. He cleaned the wound, then picked up the suture needle. "You ready?"

"I'd prefer to be sucking back on a bottle of whiskey…but yeah, go ahead." Dean nodded, gritting his teeth against the bite of the needle as it slid back and forth through his skin, closing up the wound. He had to give Bobby one thing. The man knew what he was doing with a needle and thread. His work was quick and precise, honed over the years out of necessity. The ugly knife wound in his thigh was next and Dean swore quietly as Bobby cut away his jeans to reveal the damage Gordon had done.

"Jesus, Dean…"

"I've had worse…"

"Didn't realise it was a contest." Bobby deadpanned, cleaning the wound and cursing Gordon for the mess he had made here. The knife had torn muscle, tissue…all the way to the bone. It was going to leave a nasty scar and probably give the kid a limp for a little while. Bobby never thought he would ever think it, but he was grateful that Dean had demon blood healing him now…because that wound could have been fatal otherwise. "Just what the hell were you thinking?"

"About what? Gordon opening up my leg like a side of beef?" Dean asked, confused.

"Making a deal, Dean. Selling your soul to some damn Crossroad Demon! What the hell were you thinking?" Bobby demanded, his temper flaring as his voice rose a little.

Dean was caught off guard, floundering for a moment to find the words. " How did you-…?"

" Missouri. She might not be able to read you? But she can sure as hell read Skye and right now? That girl is hurting, Dean. What the hell were you thinking??"

"I was thinking that Connor needed his mom, Bobby." Dean couldn't believe he was defending himself here again. " I didn't want to be the one to tell that kid that I got his mother killed."

"Dammit, Dean, you weren't respons--…"

"Yes I am! Skye was involved because of me, Bobby! I brought her into this life. If I had stayed away? None of this would have happened. Skye wouldn't have died! I had to fix it, Bobby. I had to. I couldn't let Connor go through that pain. I just couldn't." Dean's voice hitched a little as he spoke, thinking back to the look he had seen on Connor's face. The hope he had restored when he told Connor he would wake Skye up again.

Bobby wanted to hit Dean. Just smack some sense into him for making such a choice. But at the same time he wanted to hit John for teaching him that making a deal for your soul in exchange for a life, was an option. " How long'd you get?"

"Bobby…"

"How long?" Bobby barked sharply enough that it made Sam jump behind them before he sagged again.

" A year. She gave me a year…and I was lucky to get that…"

"Damn it, Dean…" Bobby could feel his throat tightening, tears pricking his eyes as he heard the broken edge in Dean's voice. That demon bitch had only reinforced the boy's issues of self worth and Bobby made a silent vow to hunt her down and make her regret that. Sam and Dean were John's boys, but Bobby felt as much love for them as any blood kin would have. The thought of Dean going to the pit was tearing Bobby up.

" I'm sorry, Bobby. I didn't know what else to do…"

" I know, kid. I know." Bobby gave Dean's shoulder a squeeze, needing him to know that despite how stupid the idea was, there were people backing him up. Bobby knew that John and Sam would fight this deal every step of the way. He intended on doing everything he could to help them. "We're gonna get you out of this, Dean. You've got my word on that. But right now? The best thing you could do is get some rest."

" I'm not leaving Sam, Bobby. He needs me."

"He doesn't need you passing out on a bathroom floor, Dean. Now get your ass into the other room and get some rest. I'll sit with Sam and the moment he asks for you, I'll come get you. Get out of here." Bobby stood up and offered Dean a hand up. He was grateful that Dean accepted it after another moment's hesitation. It saved Bobby having the physically throw Dean out of the bathroom.

" The moment he asks for me…" Dean echoed, fixing Bobby with a look that indicated how seriously he took that.

"You got my word. Now git!"

Dean snorted out a short laugh at Bobby pulling rank on him and limped sorely out of the room. He saw Connor lying with his Dad on a bed, asleep. Elise and Missouri quietly talking in the kitchenette. Dean nodded to the pair, then turned to go and lie down beside Skye in the main bedroom.

Connor shifted in his sleep and began to cry, the sound soft and mewling as he sat up tiredly, rubbing at his eyes with his tiny fists.

Dean crossed the floor and scooped Connor up as the little boy held out his arms to him. Cradling Connor against his good shoulder, Dean carried him into the other room, nudging the door shut with his hip. He laid Connor down on the bed beside Skye, pulling the covers up over the pair of them. It was a little awkward, stripping off his now shredded jeans, shivering slightly in his boxers before he climbed into bed.

Connor gave Dean a sleepy smile and yawned as Dean brushed the hair back out of Connor's eyes.

" Nigh' Daddy…" Connor mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes and drifting off again.

Dean blinked, unsure if he had heard Connor right, an ache filling his chest as he reached over the little boy and laid his hand on Skye's hip, keeping them both close. He laid there for several minutes, watching Skye sleep, listening to Connor's tiny little snores, before his own eyes drifted shut and sleep claimed Dean at last.


	13. The Long Road Home

_A/N: Yet again, I need to thank LovinJackson and Deb for pushing me, kicking my ass and generally telling me if each part sucks or not. And I'd like to thank everyone who is reading this for their lovely reviews and for simply reading in the first place. It's really nice to know I've created a world that you enjoy as much as me. _

_We're on the homeward stretch at last, so enjoy!!_

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Bad man… Bad man 'tay away."

Dean clawed his way back to consciousness, his tired, battered body balking at the idea of waking up and returning to a world that hurt so much. For a moment, he slipped back under again, his eyes sliding shut without really opening fully, his body sagging back deeper into the mattress and the blissful peace of sleep again.

"Don't hurt my Mommy!"

That had Dean's eyes snapping open. He sat up without thinking, just instantly launching upright, before his body had time to alert his mind to the pain that would cause. With a sharp hiss of air, Dean toppled over to the side, clutching at the wound in his shoulder, his head pounding like a steel drum as well. " Okay…that was stupid. Real stupid."

Soft sobbing was coming from behind him as Dean forced himself to roll over, seeing Connor's tearful little face looking at him a moment later.

" You okay, little dude?"

Connor shook his head and wriggled closer to Dean. "Bad Man get me. Gonna eat me." A wet snuffling breath shuddered through the little boy.

Dean slowly pushed himself upright again, then stood up. His leg protested the move, Dean feeling the stitches pull, but holding. He opened his arms and nodded at Connor, giving the him a quiet smile. "Hey, come on. How about we let Mommy sleep, huh?"

Connor scrambled across the bed and climbed into Dean's arms, resting his head on Dean's good shoulder as he was lifted up. A contented little sigh slipped from Connor as he slipped his arms around Dean's neck and closed his eyes.

Dean rubbed his back and slowly limped across the room, humming Nothing Else Matters to push away the pain from his mind and lull Connor back to sleep. The song had a deeper meaning for Dean now, because he had sought and found trust in Skye. Something that meant a lot to him. Apparently enough for him to give his life.

But as he paced the room slowly, watching Skye sleep while he held Connor in his arms, Dean had no regret about making the deal, save what he was leaving behind. It was killing him to think he had gotten Skye back, that Connor had called him Daddy before…and that in one year, he would lose it all again.

But he would still do it again. Sell his soul for Skye. So that Connor would never have to grow up without his mother like Dean did. No one deserved to know to that pain. Ever.

And Connor would be alright. Dad and Sam would look out for him and Skye. Dean was sure of that and it gave him a small measure of assurance. They would step up in his absence.

"Dean? Is everything alright?" Skye sat up slightly, her voice soft and confused with sleep.

" It's fine, babe. Connor had a nightmare…I've got him. You go back to sleep." Dean assured her quietly, smiling as she laid down again, looking so relaxed. He paced the room for a few more verses of Metallica, before Dean was completely confident that Connor was fully asleep again.

Dean carefully laid Connor down beside Skye again, pulling the covers up and tucking them both in before he gave Skye a kiss on the temple. He needed to check on Sam before he could allow himself to rest again.

Slipping out of the room, careful not to wake Skye or Connor, Dean closed the door behind him and turned slowly to see if anyone else was awake. Dad was still lying on the bed and from the way he seemed tucked into himself, Dean could see the man was still in pain. Missouri was lying asleep on one of the mattresses, lightly snoring.

Dean choked back a snigger at the sound. He knew she would never admit to snoring and for the briefest moment, he wished he had his cellphone so he could take a short video of it to show Sam.

Elise was on the other spare bed and judging from the horrible wet rattling coming from the bathroom, Bobby was in there snoring himself. It was like listening to a pig gargle underwater, a sound that Dean could actually remember from his childhood when "Uncle" Bobby's had been a place to stay and not off the list due to shotgun threats.

No one quite had a knack of pissing people off better than John Winchester.

It wasn't as easy as usual for Dean to tip toe quietly across the room to check on his father. His leg was stiff and sore, even though it was healing. But as Dean watched the rise and fall of his father's chest, he couldn't help think of a time when there hadn't been any movement there, no heartbeat underneath either. Dean shuddered involuntarily and put the back of his hand against his father's forehead. There was a more warmth there than Dean was happy with, but a quiet check of John's pulse reassured Dean. It was strong and regular.

"Dean? That you, dude?" John's voice was dry and raspy as he spoke.

"Shhh, yeah, Dad. It's me. You're gonna wake everyone if you don't tone it down."

John rolled slightly and looked at up with glassy eyes at his son. "You okay? You look beat to hell."

"Well, I can see you're okay.." Dean quipped quietly, rolling his eyes and smiling. "I'm fine, Dad. Get some more rest. Okay?"

John's eyes closed again without argument and Dean breathed a sigh of relief. He gave his father a brief pat on the chest, then turned and headed for the bathroom.

**xxxxXXXxxxx**

Sam looked more flushed than the last time Dean had looked in on his brother. He was still sprawled in the bath, his head slowly turning from side to side as he groaned through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles in his neck were standing out.

"Sammy?" Dean rushed forward, placing a hand to his brother's forehead and feeling it scorching hot. " Dammit!" He kicked out at the chair Bobby was sat in.

The older hunter was slouched, his head tipped back in sleep, snoring loudly…until Dean's foot slammed into the leg of the chair, startling Bobby as the chair threatened to tip. He was forced the throw his arms out, pin wheeling madly before he regained his balance and threw Dean a sour look. " What the hell crawled up your ass, boy?"

" You fell asleep!" Dean barked, no longer caring if he woke up the others. "Dammit, Bobby, you fell asleep and Sam's been heating up again!" The water surrounding his brother wasn't anywhere in the ballpark of being cold now. Dean leaned in and yanked out the plug, then slammed on the cold water, dousing himself and Sam in the cold spray from the shower.

Sam jerked awake with a shocked gasp, his arms flailing out to connect with Dean's already swollen eye.

The blow knocked Dean on his ass, everything framed in red for a moment as the pain washed out from the wound in tsunami waves. "Son of a bitch!"

Bobby was on his feet by now, helping to hold Sam down as the younger man began to shake and convulse. Pulling Sam against him to stop his head from cracking into the wall or the side of the tub, Bobby felt like he was trying to hold a damn earthquake. Sam was a lot stronger than he looked at the moment and it wasn't until Dean climbed back up and helped secure him, that they were able to hold Sam until the fit passed.

Dean took over from Bobby as Sam went limp in their arms. He kept Sam under the shower spray, ignoring the fact that he was getting soaked himself. " Easy, Sammy. I'm right here, dude. You're gonna be okay."

"Dean…"

His green eyes blazing with anger, Dean glared at Bobby. "How could you fall asleep, Bobby? You were supposed to be watching him!"

"I was watching him! Dammit, Dean, do have any idea how long I've been awake? I took a crack to the head from Gordon back in Valentine. You're damn lucky I got here at all, never mind dragging you and your Daddy's asses out of that house! So you watch who your throwing that temper at, boy!"

Bobby had seemed like a miracle, appearing at the house and helping Dean from the rubble, bringing them all home. Dean held the older hunter's furious gaze for a moment before he backed down. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Bobby shrugged it off, knowing that Dean meant nothing by his temper. It was fear and concern for Sam that was driving Dean to lash out. Bobby had known these boys for years, he knew how they ticked, how they would react to a situation. A storm like this? You simply had to let them ride it out and not take it personally. " You alright with him? I'm gonna have to take a look in town for more ice."

"Yeah, we're okay here."

Bobby headed for the door, already thinking of where in town he would find enough ice for that bathtub.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?" He paused at the doorway.

"Watch your back. We don't know what's still out there."

Bobby nodded, knowing all too well how risky it was going to be, going out alone. But what choice did he have? That fever had to break…and soon.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxx**

Dean made sure Sam was as comfortable as he could be under the circumstances, keeping him under the cold water and ignoring the pain it brought him. He had to shake the water out of his eyes, feeling like a drowned rat, his hands still locked onto Sam's wet shirt. The heat radiating out from his brother had Dean scared. Really scared.

"Come on, Sammy. You can't do this to me. I can't lose you. Not like this…"

"But I can lose you?" Sam's voice was soft, almost lost in the sound of the shower.

"What?" Dean sat back a little, surprised. He couldn't have heard that right….

Sam's eyes opened as he shook his head like a huge wet dog, spraying droplets everywhere. His eyes were glassy and feverish as they looked at Dean, but the pain within them was unmistaken. "You sold your soul, Dean. You're going to die in a year."

Dean closed his eyes for a moment, cursing under his breath before he looked at Sam again. "I gotta do this now? Come on, Sam! This fever's got your brain cooking in it's own juices. I'm not having this conversation with you again."

"Yes you are!" Sam's hand locked weakly onto Dean's arm. He was flushed with heat, his whole body looking like it was ready to melt into the bath beneath him. But there was something in Sam's eyes that gave Dean pause and made him listen. "I know you saw her."

"Who?"

"Mom! You saw her, Dean."

"Dude, stay the fuck out of my head with that freaky psychic shit of yours." Dean pulled away from Sam's hand, his heart pounding. " I don't know what I saw."

"Yes you do, Dean. It was Mom. She was watching out for you."

Dean shook his head, unable to believe he was talking about this with his delirious brother. "That's crap, Sam. Mom's gone. We watched her burn up in Lawrence, dude! She sacrificed herself to save you. Don't you remember?"

"That was just her spirit, Dean. Who knows what really happened? Maybe she crossed over?"

"Crossed over? What, now you're Jennifer Love Hewitt all of a sudden? Helping ghosts into the fucking light? That's bullshit, Sam! Mom's gone." Dean was starting to wonder just what the fever was doing to Sam. He could see the toll this conversation was taking on his brother. How hard it was for Sam to be lucid, but the kid was determined to do this now. Looking around the floor, Dean found an empty glass and used the shower water to fill it before he gently pressed it to Sam's lips. "Here, easy…not too fast."

Sam took several small sips, before he coughed and pushed the glass away again. "What if she's not, Dean? What if she's an angel now? What if she's still looking out for us?"

Dean paused, considering that, his heart racing at the thought. Remembering the words his mom had always told him when she tucked him in at night. Dean wanted to believe that. He really did.

"No, Sam. There's no one looking out for us, but ourselves. You, me, Dad…we're all we've got. We keep each other safe. That's how it works, how it's always worked."

" I can't believe that." Sam argued, sagging even deeper into the bath again. Drawing in his legs and curling up under the spray on his side as much as the bath would allow.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I need to believe….." Sam's eyes were closing again, his voice faltering and falling away.

"Believe what?"

"That there's a way to save you…" His voice broke, Sam forcing his eyes open to look at Dean with such pain, that for a moment, it felt like all the air had been sucked from the room.

Dean sat down heavily on the floor, grimacing at the pain that shot through his leg. He was so tired again, just so worn out by all this. "Sammy…"

"I know why you did it. I know." Sam's voice was shaking, the fever getting more of a grip on him again. "You couldn't lose Skye. I get that. I do. But I can't lose you either, Dean. I won't. They can't have you…they just can't."

"It'll be okay, Sam. We'll work this out." Dean told him, feeling sick to the stomach now. He didn't know if there was a way out of it? The demon had said that Skye would die, that she would suffer if he tried to welch his way out of the deal. Dean couldn't risk that, but he didn't want to die either.

Pressing his forehead against the cold porcelain of the bath tub, he closed his eyes, a tear slipping out and sliding down his nose. The deal had been pure gut reaction to the loss of Skye…and now?

Now Dean was looking down the barrel of a gun again…waiting for that trigger to be pulled.

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

Medicine Bow was deathly quiet and every so often, Bobby was sure he caught the faint scent of death on the night air as he rolled through the town in Missouri's car. He had no doubts that while most of the town had fled, not everyone had been lucky enough to get out alive.

In the back of his mind, he thought about trying to find the bodies, giving them a burial. The hunter within him wanted to put the souls to rest before they had more damn spirits to contend with. The sooner he could get the hell out of this town and never look back? The better.

Of course, Bobby still had to take Jo's body back to Ellen. He had take Missouri out of here, get her to safety…had to make sure John and his boys were alright too.

There was so much on his shoulders right now, weighing him down. Bobby has spent years alone, forsaking family after Elizabeth's death…only to end up letting the Winchester's in his front door and into his damn life. Letting himself become "Uncle Bobby" to those boys…boys that had become kin to him.

The Winchesters were his family. It was that simple for Bobby. Blood wasn't a factor. Never had been for the older man. He'd seen the way blood treated blood. Had done some inquiries into Skye's family after he found out about her connection to the boys.

Because Bobby wanted to know about the woman who could capture Dean's heart so deeply, that the boy would refuse to let go, would even leave his beloved Impala with her. It had started out with Bobby being concerned that there was something more to it. Maybe some sort of hex?

It seemed downright stupid now, to think that way about Skye and little Connor, but Bobby always liked to err of the side of caution. He'd lost a close friend in John, a brother really. He hadn't wanted to lose Dean too.

But Skye's family had surprised him. They were a normal, loving family…who had turned their back on their daughter for making a mistake in who she married.

It only reinforced what Bobby believed. Blood didn't mean anything.

Continuing through town, there was a small gas station near the highway turnoff. Bobby knew there would be an ice machine there. He just hoped there was still power to it.

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

_Skye couldn't breathe. The hands were locked around her throat, choking off any air, the room beginning to darken as she looked into Gordon's cold face, his eyes shifting from brown…to yellow._

A chill ran down Skye's back as she awoke, goose bumps appearing on her arms, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Fear completely paralyzed her, her heart racing so fast in her chest that Skye thought it would explode. Was it just a dream? God, it had felt so real. She could still feel the hands around her throat, crushing it, choking off any chance of breathing.

"Mommy okay?"

Skye blinked and realised that Connor was lying next to her, his wide blue eyes watching her every move. "Hey, baby, what are you doing awake?"

Connor frowned. "Woke me up, Mommy. Bad man hurt you?"

Skye could see the threat of tears in Connor's eyes and it broke the paralysis she was feeling. She reached out and brushed Connor's fringe out of his eyes, smiling. "No, baby, I'm okay. The bad man's all gone now. Okay? He can't hurt us anymore."

"Pomise?"

"I promise. Everything's going to be okay." Skye assured him, keeping her voice light but firm. "You go back to sleep now. I'll be right here."

Connor closed his eyes again, relaxing as Skye gently laid a hand on his head, her thumb idly caressing his hair to soothe him. Within minutes, Skye knew he was asleep again. She quietly slipped out of the bed and walked over to the single window, resting her head against it and staring down at the ground outside. So much had happened. Things were so scary now, so very different than Skye could ever have imagined.

An army of demons had been unleashed on the world, adding to the number that had already been taking over coma patients, the ones that had slaughtered people everywhere in the lead up to what Azazel had wanted. Skye thought about opening the Devil's Gate, how the ground had shook. How she had been the one to unleash Hell itself.

Her legs turned to rubber, dumping Skye to her knees suddenly. She rolled forward, placing her hands on the floor before her as she fought the urge to throw up. In her mind's eye, she could see Ava as she beat the girl's head in, the way the blood had sprayed. The crack of bone was clear in her mind and again, Skye's stomach rolled.

Images were assaulting her in a blur. The Demon taunting her, Ava smiling as she spoke about Connor being dead, Skye being a prisoner in her own body as Andy forced her to open the Gate. Dean's arms around her again before there was that single shot…and then nothing.

No Heaven, no Hell, no bright light or voices singing to her to follow them…there had just been nothing. Skye had no memory at all of dying and it wasn't the great comfort to her it should have been. Because it felt like Dean was dying for nothing, had sold his soul for nothing. He was so full of life, so vibrant, a bright flame that had drawn Skye to him so quickly she had wanted nothing more than to burn within it's heat.

And now she was the reason that flame was going to be burn out. It was so unfair that Skye wanted to scream, wanted to hit something, wanted to make it all just go away.

Reaching up, she dug her fingertips into the window sill, feeling the salt line digging in under her nails as she pulled herself up on shaky legs and took a long, shuddering breath to try and calm herself again. Looking towards her son, Skye knew why Dean had made the deal. It strengthened her resolve to save Dean. He was needed. Not only by his own family…but by hers.

**xxxxXXXxxxx**

Dean shifted around to make himself more comfortable on the floor beside the bath. His left arm was over the edge of the tub, his hand gripping Sam's and letting his brother know he was there. Sam had fallen into an uneasy sleep, mumbling names of people and places. Some of them Dean knew, recalling all too well the hunts that were involved…others were unfamiliar. He wondered if Sam was dreaming of when they had been separated, when he thought Dean was dead?

How the hell would Sam cope when the deal came due? Dean didn't want to dwell on the idea. He had a year to fix things or make sure everyone would be alright when he went to the pit. It wasn't ideal…but it was practical. It was how Dean had to think now.

" I brought as much ice as I could fit in the trunk. " Bobby suddenly materialised in the doorway with a bag in each hand, dropping them at Dean's feet. "Get that shower turned off and fill the bath again."

Dean let go of Sam's hand and got to his feet with a groan, turning to lift Sam up more and make sure he wouldn't slip under the water as he shut off the shower. The plug was put into place, Dean turning the faucet on to fill the tub with cold water before be began to dump the two bags in.

Sam jumped slightly at the loud rattle of the ice hitting the porcelain. He tried to pull away from the cold, his eyes flickering open as Sam tried to climb out of the bath. "Hurts…"

"Whoa, whoa, no dude!" Dean rushed to Sam's side and forced him back into the water with a struggle. "Sam, you have to stay in there."

"No, it hurts. It hurts, Dean. Please…" Sam pleaded with his brother, making Dean's heart ache at the way he sounded like a little kid again, like the Sammy that Dean had looked after since the fire.

"I know, I know, Sam. But you have to. Okay? You have to break that fever, dude." Dean held Sam in place, fear building within him at the way Sam's strength seemed to be giving out. He wasn't fighting as hard…and then not at all, just lying in the tub looking exhausted.

Dean retrieved the glass he had used earlier and refilled it, then offered it to Sam again, gently cradling the back of his brother's head before he put the glass to his lips. "Come on, Sam, got to keep your fluids up."

Sam tried to refuse at first until the liquid actually hit his tongue, then he greedily gulped at the water until he choked. Dean almost dropped the glass as he hurried to put it down, clapping Sam gently on the back. "Dammit, Sam."

Bobby brought two more bags of ice into the bathroom and added them to the tub. He placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "How is he?"

" I don't know.." Dean admitted honestly. "I've never seen him like this, Bobby. This bad…"

" I know, son. But your brother's tough. That crap Gordon gave him would have killed anyone else. It dries out the body, makes it impossible to sweat, to cry…until you overheat and the body shuts down. Nasty way to go. But Sam's doing okay as long as we keep him in this bath. He's got that same stubborn streak you and your Daddy have. Winchester through and through."

"Yeah." It came out more of a snort than a word, but Bobby could hear the fear hidden underneath.

"I kissed her…" It was a quiet admission from within the tub, breaking the tension in the air.

Bobby and Dean shared a puzzled look as Sam spoke, his eyes slowly sliding open. Dean leaned in closer, a smile starting to appear. "Who? The clown or the midget this time?"

Sam shook his head, the movement uncoordinated, almost drunken as his head lolled back a moment later. He fixed his brother with feverish eyes. "No, Dean…_her. _I kissed Elise."

"You kissed her? Sammy, you sly dog, you've been making moves while I was gone?"

Bobby rolled his eyes at Dean. "I'm going to get some sleep before the sun rises. You need anything, you call me. You got it?"

"Sure thing, Bobby." Dean waved the older hunter away, his attention not shifting from Sam for a moment. As soon as they were alone, Dean reached out to check Sam's temperature by placing the back of his hand to Sam's forehead. The heat seemed to be easing again and Dean found himself taking a deep calming breath.

"I shouldn't have kissed her."

"What the hell are you talking about, Sam? Dude, of course you should kiss her. I'm starting to think I didn't teach you enough about girls…"

"She deserves better than me."

Was Sam actually pouting now? Dean couldn't believe his brother sometimes and he sure as hell hoped that this was just the fever talking, cause otherwise he would have to kick Sam's ass for being so stupid. "Come on, Sammy, you're not so bad, dude. I mean, your not me--…"

"I could have got her killed…" Sam shifted in the bath, turning away from Dean.

"Sam, I hate to break it to you, man, but you're the one that came off second best. Elise is gonna be fine. She's been watching over your giant, lanky ass." Dean nudged his brother. "You ask me? That girl already has a serious crush on you, little brother. So stop worrying and just concentrate on getting better, will you?"

" I don't want to screw it up, Dean…I need her. I need to have that feeling again. I've missed it, man."

Dean could hear the hitch in his brother's voice and he felt uncomfortable. Was Sam about to cry? How the hell could he combat that? It had to be the fever, right? Because Sam knew that Dean hated these freaking chick flick moments. " You won't, Sam. You don't screw these things up…"

"I screwed up things with Madison. With Sarah."

"No, you didn't Sammy." Dean's voice took on a more forceful edge now. "Sarah was a sweet girl, but we had a job to do. Sarah understood that. And don't even get me started on Madison. I should have never let you get involved with her. I wasn't thinking and you got hurt because of it. I screwed up there, Sammy, not you."

"But Dean…"

"No, Sam. I don't want to hear it, okay? You're not going to screw anything up with Elise…unless you let her go. You do that? And I will kick your ass." Dean warned his brother with a smirk. He dragged the chair over that Bobby had been using earlier as sat down. "Try and get some sleep. I'll keep watch, okay?"

"Okay..." Sam let his eyes close, relaxing a little more into the water before he spoke again, softly. "Thanks, Dean."

"Don't mention it." Dean patted Sam on the shoulder, then leaned back in the chair, trying to get comfortable.

He only meant to close his eyes for a moment, to try and ease the heavy, sand paper feeling in them. But once they slid closed, they stayed closed. Dean's head dropped to his chest and he sank into sleep.

**xxxxXXXXxxxxx**

Sam awoke to find himself shivering violently, his teeth chattering so hard, he thought they would shatter. The scorching heat that had been consuming his body was gone and in it's place, Sam was bitterly cold, his head was throbbing with a massive headache that reminded Sam of the agonising pain he had suffered when he had first started to have visions.

Sitting up, Sam turned towards the doorway, noting that the other room seemed to be infused with warm morning sunlight. He could hear the soft sound of various snores, one of them instantly recognisable as his father's, another as Bobby.

Reaching out, he grabbed Dean by the arm, shaking his brother to wake him up. "D-D-Dean, h-hey…"

Dean's head snapped up from his chest, jerking awake and looking around in panicked confusion for a moment until his gaze settled on Sam. "Dude, what're you trying to do? You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!"

It took Dean another moment before it sank in that Sam's lips were tipped with blue, his whole body pale and shivering now that the fever had broken. " Oh shit, hang on, Sam."

Standing up, Dean dragged Sam to his feet and leaned forward to hold his brother steady while Sam shakily climbed out of the bath, grasping Dean for support. The last thing he wanted to do was slip and fall. Icy cold water rained down from his clothes, drenching the floor around them.

Dean pulled a towel off of the railing behind him and threw it around Sam's shoulders. "We need to get you out of those clothes, dude."

"T-that's n-not so-so-something I w-want to -h-hear fr-fr-from you, Dean."

The laugh that barked out of Dean was thick with relief and emotion, even as Dean threw his barriers up a moment later. "Dude, you know I don't swing that way. Save it for Elise."

"W-what's th-that sup-p-p-posed to m-mean?"

Dean looked at Sam as if he'd lost his mind. "You know…Elise? About yay high, thinks the world of your sasquatch ass? The girl you kissed?"

"I've n-n-never ki-ki-kissed her, Dean…" Sam stated, pulling the towel around himself tighter.

Dean wondered of the fever had done something to Sam's mind? "Dude, you told me yourself."

"W-what? L-like I'd t-t-tell y-you th-th-that. Wh-what d-did we d-do? H-h-have a sl-sl-slu...humber party?"

"Well yeah, but I had to draw the line at braiding your hair, Samantha." Dean fired back sarcastically with a smirk.

"B-bite me, j-j-jerk."

"Shouldn't you be asking Elise that?"

Through chattering teeth, Sam gave his own exhausted snigger, the two brothers grinning at each other, everything else that needed to be said between them, transpiring with a look. They'd gone down a long dark tunnel and come out into the light at the other side, not unscathed, but still standing.

**xxxxXXXxxxx**

**Three days later….**

"Bobby, are you sure about this?" Dean looked down at the set of keys in his house, a mixture of house, gate and padlock keys that carried a Singer Auto Yard keychain on them. He was leaning against Missouri's car, watching as Bobby packed a few supplies of canned food and bottles of water in to the back seat of the small sedan, along with a couple of bags of salt and whatever remaining ammunition they had found in the town. The trunk was already filled with the body of Jo Harvelle, something that Bobby hated. It just seemed wrong and he knew he'd break Ellen with the news he had.

"I need to take Jo back to Ellen and I sure as hell can't take you all to Phill's place. Not if there are other hunters there. Gordon's not the only damn fool that has the wrong idea about your Dad and brother, Dean." Bobby warned him as he slung another six pack of mineral water into the backseat, then slammed the door shut.

"Yeah, I know. It just feels weird heading to your place without you."

"I told you. I'll be there as soon as I've taken care of things. You and your family need to lay low for a while until things have cooled down." Bobby squinted as he glanced at the position of the sun. The morning was starting to get away from them already. He turned towards the motel room and yelled, "Missouri, you coming or what?"

"Of course I'm coming! I ain't letting you drive my car!" Missouri scowled as she appeared in the doorway.

Dean and Bobby shared a grin, before the younger hunter pushed himself off the car and headed for the Impala. "You've got a ham radio at your place?"

"Yup, I'll be in touch through it, so no messing with my stuff, you hear?"

John appeared behind Missouri then, making his was towards the Impala with slow movements that showed he was healing, but far from himself yet. The holy water, communion host and salt mixture had scarred the demon side of John, burning him down his darkened soul. But it hadn't stopped him. It would be weird, being back at Bobby's again after so long, but John was looking forward to the rest. "Keep your hat on, Singer, we'll treat the place like it's our own."

"That's what damn well worries me." Bobby retorted. He caught the look John threw him, both hunters in a stand off for a moment, before the tension eased and they grinned at each other.

Skye had already strapped Connor into his chair, pressing a soft kiss to the top of the little boy's head before she closed the door and climbed into the front of the Impala. It was going to be a squeeze with John needing to fit his wings in too, but Skye wasn't going to complain too much about wedged in beside Dean. She wasn't going to complain at all.

The last few night had been filled with nightmares that awoke Skye in a cold sweat, her heart hammering in her chest. Dean was oblivious for the most part, although he was beginning to suspect from the dark circles under Skye's eyes that she wasn't coping as well as she had been saying she was. He didn't push though and Skye was grateful for that. She didn't want to tell him how many times she had watched Gordon pull that trigger and take out the back of Dean's head, his lifeless eyes staring at her. How many times she had clawed through the rubble of the house with bloodied, torn hands to find both Dean, Connor and John dead.

A tremble set through her hands at the memory of it, a chill running down her spine.

"Hey, you guys okay in here?" Dean appeared at the driver's side window, concern in his eyes as he looked at Skye.

Skye met his concern with a bright smile, feigning surprise at his question. "Of course we are."

" You sure?"

"Absolutely. I'm just looking forward to getting away from here, that's all." Skye kept the smile on display, inwardly begging Dean not to press the issue. She just needed time to adjust to everything.

"Okay then." Dean tapped the roof of the Impala lightly as he stood back up.

John opened the passenger door and climbed in next to Skye, muttering an apology as he took up a good portion of the front seat with his wings. The broken wing was taking longer to heal thanks to Gordon's poisoning. "This is ridiculous. I can't sit like this." John growled sullenly.

"It's only until Bobby's, Dad." Sam assured him as he slid into the back seat with Elise. He was still looking a pale, drawn and exhausted, the past three days filled with hallucinations of everything from leprechauns, to the Impala singing ACDC with a freaky Disney-like cartoon face, to having a three hour conversation with Jess about how he had left her to die in Palo Alto.

Hallucinations that had not only freaked Sam out, but everyone around him. Bobby had assured them that they would pass as his brain slowly recovered from the effects of the Datura plant, but it was small comfort for Elise who had overheard every word said to "Jess", the heartfelt pleas for forgiveness Sam had made.

It hadn't slipped past Skye, that Elise was so far out of anything resembling a comfort zone right now. In fact, the concept of a comfort zone was well and truly buried in light of everything they had been through recently. Skye had hardly had the experiences of Sam or Dean, but dealing with Jason's spirit had at least prepared her in some way for the life she'd been drawn into with the Winchester Boys. Elise hadn't had anything like that…and on top of it all, was the death of Jo at her hands.

Self defence or not, it was still hard to deal with. Elise had been suffering her own nightmares about what had happened, what she had done, what she seen. The night turning it a mental download of images and memories that scared the hell out of Elise and had driven her to venture outside in an effort to clear her mind.

It was there that Skye had found her, whilst walking off her own nightmares. The girls had been guarded with each other at first, Skye still wary of this stranger that she'd found with her son.

But funnily enough, it was the boys that gave Elise and Skye a common ground. Because Elise found herself wondering about Sam and Jess, about why he blamed himself for the girl's death. Skye hadn't had all the answers for that. She wasn't sure Sam would ever open up to her or even Dean about it fully, but she was able to answer enough of Elise's questions and by the time the sun had risen, they were on the fast track to becoming friends.

Dean had burst out of the motel room, panicking at the girls being missing, only to find they were safely sat in the Impala.

"Safety in numbers, Dad." Sam's voice broke through Elise's thoughts and she smiled as he reached down to slip his hand over hers.

John threw Sam a glare via the rearview window. He could see by the look in his son's tired eyes, that Sam was just worried about his father. The group had been split up too much over the past week and the last few days of being together had given Sam a sense of ease, knowing he had John and Dean with him. Knowing they were safe. "I'll try to keep that in mind when my ass has gone numb."

The comment grew a chuckle from Sam as he quietly shook his head. John would never change.

Dean looked across the Impala's roof as Bobby and Missouri prepared to leave. "Keep in contact, Bobby." He received a wave in response as he climbed into the small sedan, Missouri already starting it up to warm up the engine. Dean watched the car pull out of the parking lot and disappear up the road. He didn't like the idea of them going in separate directions, especially with Bobby and Missouri heading back to a Hunter safe house…but what other option did they have? Jo had to be returned her Ellen. It was only right and Dean hoped someone would have done the same for him.

Sliding into the driver's seat, Dean put the key in the ignition, grinning widely as his baby roared into life, then began purring. Skye was crushed up against him and Dean found himself smiling about that too. Who the hell wouldn't want a hot chick pressed in like a second skin?

Skye reached out as the Impala rolled out of the parking lot, turning on the stereo. Guns n Roses filled the car, Dean drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and singing along badly.

Sam shifted a little as Elise leaned into him, making sure they were both comfortable. Looking out ahead of him, Sam blinked, seeing a small green coated man, all of six inches tall with a walking cane, standing on the hood of the Impala. " Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Open her up a little, dude…" Sam suggested innocently.

Dean gave his brother a quiet _what the hell? _look, then shrugged, putting his foot down harder. It wasn't as if Dean needed an excuse to let his baby have her head. The Impala surged forward, eating up the road with ease.

A hint of a wicked smile twitched up the corner of Sam's mouth. Out on the hood, he watched the Leprechaun leaning into the wind more, trying to keep his balance.

"Dude, plant it." Sam leaned forward a little as he spoke, eyes fixed on the tiny figure outside.

Dean was seriously starting to wonder what the hell had gotten into his brother as he pushed the accelerator down further, the muscle car responding with a roar, lunging forward to hungrily devour the road. Sam watched the leprechaun struggle to stay upright, before it lost it's footing and slid along the hood until it hit the windshield. It hung there for a moment, it's tiny walking cane looped around a wiper blade as it shook a fist at Sam, then vanished off up the windshield and out of sight with a cursing scream that only Sam heard.

Sam leaned back again, a contented smile on his face before he closed his eyes. It was going to be a long trip to Bobby's.


	14. Epilogue

_A/N: Well, here we go, guys...the end of Amen. But not the end of the story...not by a long shot. I just want to thank everyone who is reading these fics and leaving such awesome feedback. It's you guys that keep me writing. Also, as always, I need to hand out HUGE thanks to Tara aka Lovinjackson and Deb for thier constant support while I wrote this. You guys help make it better than it otherwise would have been._

_And now?? On with the show..._

**xxxxxXXXXXxxxxx**

**Singer's Auto yard, Seven Weeks Later…..**

It felt longer. Like a quiet, wonderful lifetime they had all been allowed to live in seclusion from the rest of the world. Closed off and safe thanks to the sigils, wards and protections that both Bobby and John had placed around the property's boundary to keep out any demons. Any supernatural creature, really. You could never be too cautious. The inconvenience of having to break salt lines or Devil's Traps so that John could come and go, was nothing compared to the comfort the protections offered.

Since returning from the Hunter safe house in Nebraska, Bobby had thrown himself into working around his yard alone. John and the boys had left the mechanic to it, sensing he needed some space and time alone. The only time they had really seen him, was when he helped Dean to repair the minor damage to the Impala after it had collided with the pickup truck full of demons in Oklahoma. But even then, Bobby had kept quiet and worked fast, while Dean had given the man his space.

Ellen had taken Jo's death as hard as Bobby had expected her too. Losing a child was something no one should ever know and Ellen had lost everyone now. Missouri had opted to stay behind with her, helping Phill to cater to the small troop of hunters that was starting to slowly gather at the farm now.

Bobby had been a little worried about Missouri at first, staying around for a few days more than he had intended to, making sure his friend was safe. But the psychic was more than capable of handling the men that were licking their wounds and regrouping at the farm. If anything, she was in her element, having a purpose and filling a need side by side with Ellen. The two women establishing an uneasy bond that worked well for them.

The other hunters had taken to treating Bobby with outright suspicion however, for his loyalty to the Winchesters and his silence on their whereabouts. A week of having the conversation die any time Bobby walked into a room, was enough to convince the mechanic that he was better off going home.

Perched up on the roof of Bobby's large home, John watched everyday life unfolding underneath him. There was something about the height, about the clear line of sight he was able to achieve up there, that John enjoyed.

Looking down to his right, John watched Dean washing the Impala with Connor, the little boy giggling and squealing as he got soaking wet and covered in soapy bubbles. The past few weeks had allowed Connor to really settle and come out of himself, forgetting about the nightmares and bed wetting that John had expected after what the kid had been through. Connor was proving to be as resilient as any child, already moving on and putting it all behind him. Watching Dean play and simply interact with Connor was a joy for John. He even found himself being drawn into games of hide and seek….Connor insisting that everyone play the game with him. John had no doubts in his mind that it would have looked a sight to anyone that came across this group of hunters all crouching amongst the piles of auto wrecks while a little boy giggled and rushed around finding them one by one.

Glancing to his left, John could see Sam lying back on the hood of an old Chrysler, soaking up the sun while Elise had her head resting on his chest, curled into him. They had grown slowly closer and closer over the weeks, Elise leaning on Sam more and more for comfort as she grew homesick for her family in Australia. Bobby was working with Sam to try and contact someone down in Australia through ham radio, maybe get a message to her family and receive one in return.

The world was slowly coming back. Communication wasn't quite restored yet, but life was returning to the smaller communities. Sam, Dean and Bobby were able to take runs into the town of Kyle and other small centres for supplies and food. The Government was beginning to restore some semblance of order again after what they were still calling a terrorist attack on a global scale.

John had to laugh at that. It never ceased to amaze him how they would try to explain that sort of shit, rather than accept the truth. Politicians were worse than demons for the bullshit they could spew.

Skye appeared from the house, walking out into the yard with a smile on her face as she saw Dean playing with Connor. The pair of them were wet and covered in bubbles, making Skye wonder who was getting washed more? The Impala or Dean and Connor?

"That's a good look for you, Dean." Skye teased as she watched him dump a pile of suds on Conner's head and try to shape them into a Mohawk. "I keep thinking you should be on a calendar in some all girl auto shop."

"Hey, don't objectify me!" Dean protested as he peeled off his shirt and threw it at Skye, causing her to duck out of it's path with a shriek of laughter. He struck a pose for a moment, grinning like a Cheshire cat before a sponge slapped him in the chest and he had to shake the water out of his eyes. He laughed and narrowed his eyes at Skye, before he scooped up the bucket and raced after her. "I think I've been washing the wrong girl in my life…"

Connor giggled and ran after the pair as Skye ran for the house, screaming and laughing. She didn't make it to the porch before Dean caught her, upending the bucket over her head. He received a push to the chest for his trouble that sent him sprawling back into the dirt.

"You two had better go through the wash house if you go inside. You track any mud through my house and I'll have your asses in a sling…" Bobby informed the pair as he rounded the side of the house and walked up onto the porch.

Connor rushed after Bobby and grabbed his hand, wrapping his finger around one large, grease covered finger. Bobby continued towards the door with Connor in tow.

"Hey! What about him?" Dean demanded, getting to his feet and attempting to brush the dirt off his hands onto his jeans, before he gave it up as futile.

"He's a kid, he doesn't know any better." Bobby informed Dean with a straight face before he winked at Connor and led him inside, a quiet chuckle rippling through him.

Skye stood watching it all unfold with her hands on her hips, shaking her head and laughing. She reached down to pick up the bucket at her feet, swaying suddenly as she straightened and the world spun momentarily. Reaching out blindly, Skye was grateful to feel Dean's strong hands grasp her arm and steady her.

"Hey…easy, you okay?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine, babe. Just stood up too fast, that's all." Skye gave an embarrassed smile.

"You sure?"

Skye could see the concern held in Dean's eyes and she just wanted to kiss him there and then. How the hell had she gotten this lucky? "I'm sure, Dean. I'm fine. Really. How about we go inside and I'll wash your back for you in the shower?"

A wicked, playful smirk appeared as Dean leaned in and let his arm slide down around her waist, pulling Skye closer until she was held snugly against him. "Now that's an offer I can't refuse…"

**xxxxXXXXXxxxx**

The savage, frightening sound of dogs snarling and Dean screaming, woke Skye up the next morning, her eyes snapping open as she rolled over to slide her arm over Dean and found the mattress beside her was empty. A shudder ran through her as Skye sat up. She swallowed thickly, realising how dry her mouth while she slide her feet into a pair of woolly moccasins that Dean had gotten her on his last trip to Kyle. He'd been bitching that Skye's feet had suddenly become iceblocks, which had elicited a smart remark from Skye that it meant she had a warm heart.

There was the scent of bacon frying and the sweet smell of waffles being cooked. It was enough to make Skye stumble out of bed and rush down the hallway to the bathroom, barely making it there before she threw up. Her whole body trembled after a few minutes of having nothing to throw up, her stomach lurching and convulsing without success. Skye turned on the faucet, rising her mouth out and spitting before she straightened up and groaned. "Just great…..oh that's just perfect…"

**xxxxXXXXxxxxx**

"Because you said so? What the hell kind of answer is that?"

Dean rolled his eyes and began to silently count in his head before he turned to fix Skye with a glare. What the hell was with her this morning? They had been doing this for the past few weeks and now she was getting pissy about it? "It's the only answer you're getting out of me this morning."

"Fine. Forget I asked. Forget I damn well said anything…." Skye stormed back into the house, slamming the door hard enough that Bobby poked his head up from beneath the hood he was working under across the yard. He gave Dean a questioning look, then went back to work, figuring he had no place getting in the middle of their domestic.

"Son of a bitch…" Dean muttered, climbing into the driver's seat and sparing one last look towards the house before he gunned the Impala's engine and drove out with a spray of gravel as he stabbed the gas pedal angrily.

" You know, you might want think about letting her go with us once in a while, Dean. Bobby's can get a little claustrophobic after seven weeks." Sam suggested with a smirk. "What are you worried about?"

"Gee, I don't know, Sam…how about you tell me why you haven't taken Elise with us yet?" Dean snapped, his green eyes blazing brightly with anger. "It's not safe!"

Sam looked away, the smirk melting off his face as he took in the countryside blasting past them in a green and gold blur. "It's never going to be safe, Dean."

"I know. " Dean admitted quietly, his arms still locked on the wheel, his focus never wavering from the road. " I just feel like we're marked, Sammy. I'm scared something could happen to Skye cause she's seen with me."

"Yeah, I hear you, dude."

**xxxxXXXXxxxxx**

John entered the house, already picking up on the tension the moment he crossed the doorway. He'd been retouching the salt lines around the property, especially after the boys had left on their supply run.

Skye was in the kitchen, reading one of Bobby's vast collection of books while Connor was sat across from his mother at the table, eating Cheerios. The little boy gave John a milky smile as he shovelled another mouthful in.

John couldn't help but smile in return, taken back to a time when his own boys had given him those same smiles. He had spent hours upon hours with Sam and Bobby over the last few weeks, researching Dean's deal and any possible loophole that could be found to get him out of it.

But so far…nothing.

"Everything okay?" John asked, picking up the coffee pot and pouring himself a cup of the thick, strong brew that Bobby liked to make when he first crawled out of bed and left to simmer all day. But evening, you could pave a road with it.

"Just peachy." Skye bit off tersely, not lifting her gaze from her book.

John couldn't help but smirk in amusement. "I've seen that look before. Peachy must have a different meaning to women than it does to men."

Skye threw John an angry look that could melt sand into glass…but the half demon hunter never flinched. He merely quirked an eyebrow, his smirk remaining in place. "If you're pissed with Dean? Take it up with him…I'm not looking to get caught in the crossfire. Just stating facts. Mary used to say she was peachy…usually right before she would tear me a new one for something I had done. She was the only woman I'll ever walk on eggshells for…"

"Can't argue with that.." Skye conceded quietly, lowering her book at last.

"Coffee?" John held a mug out towards her, noting the way the blood seemed to drain from Skye's face, queasiness clearly overcoming her.

"No thanks. I might have some juice instead."

"Probably a wise choice. Bobby must have scraped out last night's pot and mixed it with this one." John muttered, his face scrunching up in distaste before he set the mug down on the bench beside him.

"Is it safe?" Elise asked as she entered the kitchen. "I figured you must be on the warpath by the way the Impala blew out of here. He sounded pretty pissed off, mate."

"Good."

"Mommy grrrrrrr with Daddy." Connor stated chirpily, making claws with his fingers and screwing his face up into a growl before he giggled to himself.

John and Elise shared a look, each of them silently asking the other if that had heard the little boy correctly. A quiet smile crept across John's lips. Dean was being called Daddy now? John had been waiting for this moment even since Dean had woken up from the coma again. No one had the connection Dean had with Connor. The memory of his son, bare chested and ready to take down any threat to the tiny child in his arms was something John would never forget and it was obvious that Dean could never do any wrong in Connor's eyes. He was a hero. The man who had saved him from the bad man, had woken his mother up from her supposed sleep. The one who kept the monsters away. It was the sort of hero worship that John had once seen in his own boys and seeing it now being shown for his son was something John had waited all too long for.

It gave John hope that his sons could finally have a life beyond hunting , something he had always wanted for them.

"So are you okay?' Elise was making herself a cup of tea, preferring to steer clear of what Bobby seemed to call coffee. She looked over at Skye who was attempting to look interested in her book again.

"I'm fine." Skye growled, before she realised just how much like Dean she sounded. That wasn't what she needed right now. He was driving her crazy with his protectiveness as much as she loved him for it. Skye understood why Dean was being that way…but Skye needed to get out of the house, out of the auto yard, before she went insane. There were things she wanted from Kyle that Skye wasn't about to ask Bobby or the boys to buy for her.

Pushing her chair back, Skye stood up and closed her book with a dull clap of old paper. She unbuckled Connor from his highchair, lifting him out and lowering him to the floor. Taking a fresh, clean cloth from beside the sink, Skye ran it under cold water, then washed Connor's face with it. " That's better, more little boy and less cereal monster."

"Rawr!" Connor growled playfully.

Skye mimicked him, making her hands into claws and growling. Connor squealed with laughter and ran to John, hiding behind his legs, peering out.

"Oh sure…call in reinforcements" Skye said dryly, smirking at her son. She straightened up and let out a huff of air. "I'm gonna take a walk around outside. You coming, Connor?"

"Yeah!" Connor rushed out from behind John and ran for the door. John watched him go, laughing quietly before he started to rifle through Bobby's cupboards for coffee filters. There was no way he was drinking another cup of Bobby's black tar special…it was time for a fresh brew.

"You up for some company?" Elise tipped out the dregs of her tea and rinsed the cup before she set it on the side of the sink.

"Sure.." Skye shrugged. "Prison mates should stick together."

John watched the pair leave, wondering just what they were planning? Unlike his sons, John had a bit more experience at reading women and there was no doubt in his mind that they had something in the works….

**xxxxxXXXXXxxxxxx**

Connor was racing ahead of Skye and Elise as they walked the Auto yard. The little boy was happily calling out the names of all the cars as he went, remembering what Bobby had taught him. There were "Fores" and "Hevys" and "GMHaychess", the names rolling off his tongue as he laughed and stopped every so often to pick up scattered pieces of metal and throw them.

"Don't go too far ahead, pal!" Skye called, keeping a sharp eye on him.

"So you want to talk about it?" Elise looked at Skye, squinting her eyes slightly against the sun.

"What's there to talk about?"

"Gee, I dunno, mate….maybe what's got you so pissed off?"

Skye stopped mid stride and looked at Elise. "So what, you're happy to be left behind here while the boys go to town? Treated like a freaking porcelain doll?"

"I never said that."

Skye studied Elise for a moment, before the fire died in her and she allowed a quiet smile at her friend. "It's driving me nuts, you know? I mean, god, I love Dean…but this need he has to wrap me up in cotton wool has to stop! I swear if I have to stay here one more day? I'm going to lose my mind!"

"Yeah, it's hardly the Whitsunday's…" Elise nodded, sympathising completely. Sam had been the same lately with her and Elise knew that he was still carrying guilt for what had happened with Jo. The nightmares were easing now. Not so frequent, although they were still vivid enough to wake Elise in a cold sweat sometimes. Sam didn't always wake up and Elise was grateful for that. She'd been a little more open about it with Skye. Both girls finding it easier to talk about their own nightmares to each other, than involve the boys.

"I've got a plan…if…if you're interested?" Skye offered as they began to walk again.

"Mate? If it means getting out of here for even five minutes? I'm in…"

**xxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx**

Dean and Sam brought the last two boxes of food and medical supplies into the house as Connor suddenly squeezed through the door behind them and ran to the kitchen.

John was in the living room, reading through yet another set of dusty books that Bobby had managed to find hidden away in the storm cellar this time. It never ceased to amaze John where Bobby would keep books. The house was so full of them it was like an obstacle course sometimes. Yet for all the wealth of knowledge at their finger tips, they had still found nothing about breaking the damn Hell deal.

In the kitchen, Sam had to sidestep quickly to avoid falling over Connor, fumbling with the box in his arms for a moment before he regained his grip on it.

"What's the matter, Sasquatch? All that height throwing your balance off?" Dean grinned at his brother, setting his own box down on the table. He pulled a packet of Twinkies out of box, opening up one and handing it to Connor.

"Screw you, Dean. Next time I'll drop the box and see how good Connor is at playing dodge huh?"

"Touchy, touchy….here," Dean grinned and handed his brother a Twinkie. "Food of the gods, man."

"Yeah right, "Sam snorted in amusement as he unwrapped the treat. " If the gods are into eating crap that reads like a chemistry experiment. Have you ever looked at the list of ingredients, Dean?"

"Ignorance is bliss, Sammy." Dean assured his brother with a wink as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Connor scrambled up into his lap a moment later, still happily chewing on the Twinkie in his hand, white creamy filling smear across his chin.

"Your mom still mad at me?" Dean asked, reaching out with his thumb to remove the filling from Connor's chin before he popped his thumb in his mouth. Sam watched the scene and rolled his eyes with a smile. His brother was still such a big kid himself, and now he was a role model….there was no hope for Connor, although Sam had to admit he had turned out okay himself under Dean's guidance.

"Yup." Connor nodded happily, before biting down on another mouthful.

"Great…just great." Dean sighed, finishing off his own Twinkie. "Do you think I should talk to her?" He looked over at Sam who was packing away the box of food he had brought inside. There was cereal and more coffee, some bread and a few condiments that Bobby had asked them to get for cooking among other things.

"Judging by the way she stormed off this morning? I'm thinking you shouldn't even be sitting here talking to me, dude, you should be finding Skye."

"I hate it when you get all Mr Spock on me…" Dean grumbled as he gently lifted Connor off his lap and stood up.

The distinct rumbling purr of the Impala suddenly cut through the house, both brothers pausing to look at each other in surprise. Dean's hands instantly went to his back pocket, pulling out his keys and holding them up to Sam. "Dude, what the hell?"

Both Sam and Dean raced for the front door in time to see the Impala pulling away from the house. Skye gave a curt wave out of the driver's window as she drove out the gates and left the Auto Yard behind her.

"Sam, that's my car. She hotwired my car, dude…she hotwired my freaking car!" Panic was fighting with outright disbelief in Dean's voice as he tried to think of what the hell he was supposed to be doing. Skye had taken his car, his CAR! Why would she do that? What the hell was wrong with her? It had to be possession, yeah, that was it. That had to be it.

Sam grabbed his brother by the sleeve of his jacket and headed for the El Dorado that Bobby had been working on. "I told you to talk to her, Dean."

Dean jerked his arm free from Sam's grip but continued to follow his brother. "Hey, I'm not the only one who's girlfriend's gone AWOL, dude. You do realise Elise was in my car too? It's a freaking mutiny. Maybe some sort of spell?"

"Yeah, Dean…a spell that made them steal your car." Sam rolled his eyes and was glad to see Bobby already on his way back from the El Dorado. "Bobby, we need to borrow your car."

Digging the keys to his 1971 Chevelle out of pocket, Bobby began to hand them over, then paused, looking at the boys suspiciously. "Wait a minute, what do you need my car for?"

"Skye and Elise just took off with my car." Dean explained huffily. "We need to go bring them back."

Bobby could help the grin that appeared. "Those girls took off with the Impala? You two chuckleheads really are in over your heads here. I saw this coming a mile off."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Dean demanded.

"You know exactly what that means, Dean, you don't need me to hold your damn hand and explain it. Car's round the back of the house and make sure you fill up the tank again before your bring it back."

"You're starting to sound like Dad." Dean teased.

"Then you'd better speak to Bobby with the respect you show me."

Dean froze at the sound of his father's voice behind him, before his shoulders sagged in defeat. "There's no way I can win this, is there?"

Sam was trying not to laugh until he caught his father glaring at him and instantly sobered. Both boys stood there like a couple of scolded children while Bobby couldn't hold back the grin on his face as he stood behind them. John looked stern and uncompromising, but Bobby could see the sparkle of mischief in his friend's eyes. The son of a bitch was playing with them…

"You heard Bobby, make sure that car's fuelled up before you bring it back. If you're not back by sun down, I'll be expecting you to radio in with your co-ordinates so I can find you. Is that clear?"

"Why don't you come with us now, Dad? Bobby could watch Connor." Dean suggested, knowing it wasn't like his father to stay out of something like this.

"I can't risk being seen, you know that. Word gets out that a man with wings is living at Bobby's? We'll have people here with pitch forks and torches, thinking their saving the community from another damn demon. Now get moving and stay in touch."

"Yes sir." Dean answered immediately, before he headed towards the Chevelle with Sam in tow. Climbing into the rusty brown vehicle, Dean slid the key into the ignition and turned it. The car tried to start, the engine winding over again and again with no success. Dean shot Sam a look as both boys climbed out again, walked to the front of the car and popped the hood. It only took a moment to lift the distributor cap and see the problem. "God dammit!"

Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean and gave a small shrug. "And? Dean, what's the problem?"

With a growl of frustration, Dean dropped the distributor cap and threw his hands in the air. "The freaking rotor button's missing!"

"Missing? You mean Skye took it?"

" No, Sam, I think it grew legs and walked…"

Sam threw Dean a sour look followed by his middle finger. "I could drop you on your ass without even touching you, jerk."

"You want to get all Obi Wan on me, bitch? Bring it on!"

"When you two idjits are finished arguing like a couple on a prom date? You might want to check the glove box for the spare rotor button. I always keep one there." Bobby was standing near the back door now, watching the pair with his arms folded in front of him. There were times Bobby wondered how the hell those two ever made it out their teens without killing each other?

Sam hunted through the glove box before he straightened up again and looked across the roof of the Chevelle at Bobby. "It's not there, Bobby."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Sammy nodded. "No rotor button to be seen anywhere…"

"Dammit, Dean, you really did piss that girl of yours off. " Bobby let out a sigh and trudged down off the back step towards the boys. "Come on…I think I've got another Chevelle down the back of the lot…should have a rotor button in it."

**xxxxXXXXXxxxxx**

**Kyle, South Dakota...**

Skye shut off Def Leppard's God's Of War as the Impala pulled into the small town of Kyle. It was a blink and you'll miss it kind of a town, with a population of nine hundred. Small, quiet, the perfect place for a hunter to live near without raising too much suspicion as long as he kept to himself. The locals knew Bobby Singer and his Auto Yard, sending business his way when it was needed. They were also accustomed to seeing the Impala now and barely gave it a glance as it rolled through town.

Parking outside the small drugstore that serviced the area, Skye knew she was going to be paying a fortune for what she needed. That had been the biggest problem since life had tried to return to normal for the most part, dealing with the price hikes that had happened, due to the difficulty of getting goods.

"I thought you said we were going for coffee? Stretch our legs? Different surroundings…any of this sounding even remotely familiar?" Elise asked, eyeing the building in front of them. "The diner's down there….if it's even open?"

"How about you go and check? I just need to get a few things. You know, razors….other…things." Skye flushed with embarrassment and was relieved to see Elise laugh and open her door.

"Relax, mate…I read you loud and clear. There's some things you don't want the guys getting for you. Although personally? I would love to see Dean's face sometime if you sent him through a checkout for tampons."

Skye started to giggle then, already picturing the horrified look he would have. "Are you serious? Dean buying something like that? We should make both of them do it…"

Elise snorted with laughter, grinning across the roof of the Impala at Skye as the other woman climbed out. "You're on. Although we have to survive Dean when he finds us, seeings how you hotwired his car."

"He'll get over it….one day…" Skye finished a little awkwardly. Dean was going to be majorly pissed with her for taking the Impala. But then, Skye wasn't exactly willing to play nice at the moment either. She was well and truly over being held captive….

Leaving Elise to walk down a few stores to the diner, Skye went into the drugstore and wandered the aisles for a moment, looking for what she needed. Finally she grabbed a pregnancy testing kit from the shelf, after a few minutes of debate about why there needed to be so many different ones. How many ways was there to tell someone they were pregnant? They all pretty involved the same process.

It cost twice what it would have normally been, but Skye needed to know, so she shelled out the last of her savings and handed it over to the chemist. He was a squat, balding man with a pleasant enough face as he smiled knowingly at her. Skye gave back a feeble smile of her own as she took the kit, wrapped up in a paper bag now and left the store.

Elise was already half way through a cup of tea, savouring the rich taste that was better than anything Bobby had made recently. The guy was a brilliant mechanic…but his coffee skills were definitely lacking, which meant he was even worse at buying anything resembling a decent tea bag.

But then, Elise figured hunters didn't drink coffee for the flavour…it was to stay awake.

Skye entered the diner and sat down at the booth with Elise, noting that there were a couple of what she assumed were locals in the diner as well. No one looked twice at them and it helped Skye to relax a little. The world really was starting to recover at last and it eased the guilt she still carried for her part in opening the Hell's Gate.

Bobby, John… they'd tried to reassure her, using the ham radio to keep track on other hunters and how they were faring at finding the demons that had escaped. The odds were still against them for the most part, but there were no open, outward signs of the demons mounting any large scale attacks. Skye tried to tell herself they could stop anything before it happened…but she wasn't so sure. Not when the previous attack had been so successful.

"So…you get what you needed?"

"Huh? Oh...yeah. " Skye nodded as she sat down on the other side of the booth. It was slightly fifties style, the diner. Skye figured it was possible that the place had been open since then, although the waitress that came over was barely out of her teens.

"Hey, there…can I take your order?"

Skye had barely had a chance to notice the menu, but she already knew what she wanted. "Ah…yeah…can I get a coffee, black and a slice of pie? Apple, if you have any?"

"Black coffee and a slice of apple pie, you got it. Anything else?"

"Is there a bathroom I can use?"

"Just through there.." The waitress pointed with her pencil before she tucked it behind her ear again and went back behind the counter. Skye couldn't help but notice the skirt that was short enough to almost show the girl's underwear, the whole uniform looking more like a cheerleading outfit than anything else and for the briefest moment, she wondered if Dean came here for coffee? A flash of jealousy rushing through her before she shook herself, realising how stupid she was being.

"Hey, you okay, mate?" Elise asked, concern darkening her face slightly.

"Oh, I'm fine. Really. Must be the coffee I drank before I left. I'll be back right back…."

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

Sitting in one of the three cubicles of the bathroom, Skye waited for the test to show her whether or not she was pregnant. It was supposed to show within a minute or two…so it wouldn't be long now. She chewed the corner of her thumb nervously, listening to the sound of a faucet dripping outside the cubicle. Her eyes kept flitting over to the test sitting on the paper dispenser.

The last time she had used one of these had been with Connor and ironically enough, it had been inside another public restroom. They'd been visiting her parents in Fort Dodge, when Skye had stopped, taking the chance while Jason was looking through Walmart, to buy a test and find out why she was so late. It had come as a total shock to her….and Jason had taken the news badly.

And now Skye was doing it again.

This time there was no Jason to react badly, her parents weren't in the picture either….but Skye's heart was still racing. She picked up the test and looked…..

Two lines. Pregnant.

"Oh shit….shit…shit…shit…" Skye couldn't think, her mind instantly panicking. This couldn't happen now. Not now. Not like this. Not with Dean's deal still in place. Skye didn't want another baby without a father…she couldn't do this. She just couldn't.

But it had happened now and no amount of denial was going to change that. There was no way Skye would even consider getting rid of the baby either. It was Dean's baby. She'd seen him with Connor. But would he be happy? Especially now he had the deal over his head?

Nausea hit Skye like a freight train and as everything suddenly spun dizzily, she turned, flipped up the toilet lid she had been sat on and threw up.

"Skye?" There was a knock on the cubicle door. "Hey….mate? What's going on?"

Skye straightened up on shaky legs, smoothing down her clothing and making sure she was presentable before she flushed the toilet, then left the cubicle. On her way past Elise, she handed her the test. "That's what."

Elise looked at the test, hers eyes widening. " Oh shit."

"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too."

"So….what? Are you happy? About this, I mean? Are you going to tell Dean?"

Skye finished washing her face and looked at her friend in the mirror. It was the critical question, really. "I don't have much choice, do I? This is his baby too." She was shaking now and as Elise stepped forward and hugged her, Skye let the tears fall. "I want this to be a good thing, Elise…I really do. I want this to baby to be everything Dean's always wanted…."

"But you' re scared about the deal?"

"Yeah… " Skye pulled away, smudging away the tears with the heel of her palm. "What the hell am I going to do? What if he freaks out like Jason did with Connor?"

"Are you kidding me? Dean's nothing like Jason from what I've heard. This is going to be okay, Skye. Just tell him the truth and take things as they come, mate." Elise drew Skye into another hug. " So…you still want that apple pie?"

"Yeah…yeah, I think I do."

"Well, come on then…" Elise was grinning at Skye as they left the bathroom, walking back towards their booth….and finding Sam and Dean standing there, waiting for them.

"Oh shit." Skye murmered, seeing the anger clearly evident in Dean's body language, the concern in Sam's. "Here we go…"

**xxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxx**

The Impala was eating up the road with an anger that matched her driver's. Behind the black muscle car, Sam and Elise were following in Bobby's Chevelle, keeping pace but not too close in case Dean locked up the brakes suddenly. There was no saying what he would he was likely to do in his current state of mind.

Skye reached out to turn down the music, ACDC's Money Talks blaring out loud enough to make her teeth all but rattle. The moment the volume was lowered, Dean reached over and cranked it up again, throwing Skye a dark look.

In return, Skye waited a moment, before she turned it down again. "Are we going to talk about this?"

Dean's only response was to turn the music up to levels that were likely to make Skye's ears bleed. This was going to get them no where fast. Stabbing the eject button angrily, Skye grabbed the cassette and threw it into the back seat behind them.

"What the hell?!"

"Next time it'll be out the window, Dean. We need to talk and right now my fucking ears are ringing like I've been at a rock concert. You want to be pissed at me about the car? About taking off? Fine…be pissed. But you're going to hear me out."

Dean turned his attention back to the road. His knuckles were white as they clutched the wheel, his arms locked. Skye could see the muscles in his jaw working and took a deep breath to try and calm the butterflies in her stomach. She would have to clear the air between them first before she could mention the baby. "I'm sorry I took the car."

Silence filled the car, Dean not even looking in Skye's direction.

"Dean? I said I was sorry."

"I heard you."

"And?" Skye waited anxiously. "Are you going to say anything?"

"About what?"

"About what I did."

Dean finally looked over at Skye for a moment, his green eyes so full of anger, they seemed to gleam. "What do you want me to say? You stole my car, you took off without me knowing where the hell you were going…."

"You were treating me like a fucking prisoner, Dean!"

"Since when does making sure you're safe mean I'm treating you like a prisoner?"

Skye wanted to scream. "If I locked you up at Bobby's? Took your keys and made you stay there…how long would you last, Dean? You go stir crazy if you stay on the one tv channel too long…and you're expecting me not to be climbing the walls after seven weeks in the one place?"

Dean kept his gaze on the road, but what Skye was saying was sinking in. He hadn't meant to make her feel like a prisoner, but it scared the hell out of Dean to think someone could take Skye from him again. That maybe some hunter out there would spot him, recognise him….and recognise Skye too. Dean had heard Bobby and John talking. He knew that the other hunters were blaming Skye for what happened, were hunting his father….hunting them all for supp0sedly swapping sides in this war that Dean was just so sick of. More than ever, Dean was tired of being a hunter. Tired of the danger it brought to the people he loved. He just wanted to be normal for once and the fact that it would never happen? That this was all he would ever know for the last year of his life before his deal came due? Was weighing Dean down heavily.

"You stole my car. You hotwired it. What if something had happened?"

"To your car or to me?" Skye arched an eyebrow as her anger spiked again.

"What?" Dean shot Skye an incredulous look. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Skye? You think this car means more to me than you? After what I did?"

"Pull over."

"What?"

"Pull over, Dean or you'll be cleaning out the car!" Skye clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to breath through her nose and fight the nausea as Dean slammed on the brakes and pulled off the road. Skye barely got her door open, wrenching off her belt and toppling forward onto her hands as her stomach emptied itself violently. God, how could she have ever said what she did? Dean had sold his soul for her and she was accusing him of loving his car more? The very thought of how catty and horrible that had been, had Skye throwing up again.

There was the sound of the other door opening and closing…and then Dean was beside her, one hand rubbing her back, the other pulling her hair back out of the way. "Easy….it's okay, Skye…"

"No it's not…" Skye choked out, tears running down and dripping from her nose as she remained hunched over, her stomach still rolling and heaving even though there was nothing to bring up anymore. "I had no right to say that…..it…it was bitchy. Beyond bitchy. I can't believe I said that."

"Dean?"

Dean looked up to see Sam approaching, clearly worried. He locked eyes with his brother and Sam could immediately see that whatever was happening with Skye and Dean wasn't over yet.

"Dean, what's going on?" Sam was standing near the back of the car, sensitive not to intrude on the couple.

"It's nothing, Sam. I've got this."

"You sure?" Sam was all too aware of how his brother tended to handle emotional talks. The term duck and weave seemed to come to mind.

"I said I've got it. Take Elise home. We'll be right behind you."

"Dean, I'm not sure-…"

"I said I've got it, Sam!" Dean shot his brother a warning glare to back the hell off and it only eased as he saw Sam nod quietly and return to the Chevelle. The rusty brown car passed him shortly afterwards and disappeared up the road.

Skye was sitting up more now, resting her elbows on her knees and trying to let the nausea pass. She shivered slightly, a cold sweat breaking out over her and cooling her down sharply as the day started to fade into evening. " We should get back. Connor's probably starting to fret."

"Not til you tell me what the hell is going on, Skye."

"What do you mean?" Skye got up and wrapped her arms around herself, walking towards the back of the Impala.

"You know what I mean. You think I haven't noticed what's been going on the last few weeks? You've been sick, getting up through the night…." Dean followed Skye to the back of the Impala, watching her shiver as the air began to turn chilly. He slid his jacket off and put it around her shoulders. "Skye…talk to me. What is it? Nightmares? What?"

Skye gave a short, sad laugh. "Nightmares? No, Dean…the nightmares I can handle."

"Then what?"

"I'm pregnant." Skye waited half a second before she dared to look at Dean. He was completely frozen for a moment, his eyes widening, his mouth opening and closing, throat working…but no sound until he choked out, "C-come again?"

"What? Do I need to spell it out in semaphore?" Skye asked softly, lowering her gaze as she felt tears stinging her eyes again.

"Are you sure? No, wait….forget I asked that, of course you're sure." Dean's mind was spinning a million miles an hour. Pregnant. A baby. He was going to be a father. Have a son of his own, a brother for Connor. All this was rolling round and round in his head, faster and faster, until Dean doubled over, trying to breathe as a panic attack hit him.

Skye watched Dean gasping for air and her first instinct was to go to him. But fear of what was driving that panic attack, held her back. What if Dean didn't want the baby? The memory of Jason's reaction was so awful. How he had freaked, demanding Skye get rid of the baby because he wasn't ready for one. The thought was doing that was so alien to Skye and even now, the memory of being told to do it, still cut deeply.

The panic attack passed a few moments later and Dean was able to straighten up again, seeing Skye still leaning again the trunk of the Impala. "Skye?"

There was no response, Skye wouldn't even look at him. Shit. He hadn't handled this well. It wasn't just a big deal for him. It was something that concerned them both. If Skye was having his baby, then Dean needed to stop thinking about going to Hell and do more about it. It was hard enough to think about what he was already losing, but a baby? Dean wanted to see his baby grow up, wanted to watch his baby playing with Connor….wanted to have what his father had.

Dean walked up to Skye and gently lifted her chin so she was looking at him. Tears spilt down her cheeks and he thumbed them away carefully. "Hey, look at me."

"I wanted to tell you before…but…"

"When did you find out?"

"At the diner." Skye pulled the test out from her pocket and handed it to Dean, biting her bottom lip nervously. Dean wasn't yelling yet, that had to be a good sign…right? "I know the timing sucks…" She gave a small, nervous laugh that died off as quickly as it started.

Dean stared at the test, seeing the two pink lines. The second one was so strong, as if the baby wanted to leave no doubt at all in their minds that it was real. "You're pregnant…."

Skye heard the softness of his voice and her heart fluttered. She sucked in a sharp breath of air as Dean placed his hand on her stomach, then his eyes met hers and all thought of breathing stopping as she saw the look in his eyes. The slow, easy, excited smile that broke his lips.

"We're having a baby….We're having a baby!" It was sinking in at last and Dean let out a short, ecstatic whooping yell that made Skye jump before he captured her lips with his own. His arms slid around her and for one moment, nothing existed but the kiss and how warm it left them both feeling. Skye pulled away soon after and extracted herself completely from Dean, a confused frown marring his brow as he turned to watch her walk away a few feet from him.

"What now?"

"There's still your deal."

Dean swore silently to himself, but he kept any emotion from his voice as he spoke up again. "So? We just have to find a way out of it." It was so much easier said than done, but Dean had to believe there was a way. Now, more than ever. It wasn't just his own family he was leaving. Sam, Dad. He couldn't leave Skye, Connor…and now a baby. Dean had too much to lose now and he wasn't going to give it up without one hell of a fight.

"You make it sound so simple." Skye slowly turned to look at Dean, pulling his jacket around her more as the night air dipped a few more degrees.

"It is simple. I'm going to find a way out of the deal, Skye. Those sons of bitches aren't taking me away from you and Connor and the baby. I won't let that happen."

"Promise?" Skye's voice was shaking again and she cursed her hormones being so out of control lately. It was better to blame them than the constant fear she carried of losing Dean to a Hell deal.

Dean marched forward and drew her into his arms again, kissing her lips, her cheek, her forehead, before he met her gaze. "I promise. I need to be around to make sure this kid learns all the right music. It wouldn't be fair to raise them on Bryan Adams alone, you know. Could stunt his musical growth."

Skye laughed then, still choked with tears, but a huge weight was lifting from her chest. She slapped Dean's shoulder. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with my taste in music! You've already corrupted Connor…" It suddenly hit Skye what Dean had said. "Wait…you said his? You're assuming it's a boy?"

"Well yeah…." Dean looked at Skye as though it was obvious. " How else am I going to teach Connor how to be an awesome big brother?"

Skye laughed again, her smile beaming as Dean took her hand in his. "Come on, Dad's going to be looking for us soon if we don't get back. Besides….I have got to see the look on his face when we tell him."

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

Sam kept glancing in the rear view mirror, looking for the lights of the Impala. He wasn't happy about leaving Dean and Skye alone out here and after a few minutes, his foot eased off the gas pedal. The Chevelle responded immediately slowing down and allowing Sam to reach out with his mind towards Dean. It was brief, Sam merely brushing the surface and finding a mixture of emotions…but that Dean seemed happy for the most part. Whatever had been happening seemed to be over and Sam was able to withdraw again, not wanting to intrude on Dean's privacy now that he knew his brother was alright.

Elise had been sat quietly, the only noise in the car coming from whatever radio station Sam had been able to find. It had helped to keep things a little less awkward, but not by much. Watching as Sam glanced in the rear view mirror again for what had to be at least the seventh time or so since they had left the Impala behind, Elise finally found her voice. " Do you think they're okay?"

Sam took his eyes from the mirror and looked at Elise, suddenly realising how uncomfortable she looked. He had hardly spoken a word since they had left Kyle, but that didn't mean he was angry at Elise. He was angry at how things had ended up, angry at himself for letting things get to the point where the girls had stolen the Impala to get out of Bobby's. Why hadn't he picked up on things before then or spoken to Dean about letting the girls go to town too?

"I'm sure they okay. I'll just be happier when I can see them behind us." Sam admitted, letting the Chevelle slow down even further.

Silence fell over the pair again before Elise broke it tentatively. "Are _we _okay?"

"What?" Sam was tempted to pull off to the side of the road, but they needed to get home before Dad started to worry about them. He divided his attention between the road and Elise, seeing how anxious she was. Sam had been furious when he walked into that diner and found Skye and Elise, but that had only been because he was so damn scared of something happening to them both. The last seven weeks at Bobby's, dealing with his recovery from Jo's attack, Elise's nightmares over what had happened and just spending time together; had made Sam sit down and really think about his feelings for Elise.

"Back at the diner, you looked like someone had pissed in your Weetbix…."

"Pissed in my what?" Sam asked, a surprised half laugh escaping from him as he threw a confused look at Elise. Every so often, she would come out with some comment, some joke…and it would remind Sam that Elise was more than just an accent he'd had to adjust to. She came from a whole different lifestyle and culture that sometimes was completely alien to him….and utterly refreshing. He loved that she could catch him completely off guard with just some throw away line.

"Weetbix…it's a…no, never mind." Elise shook her head and gave a soft smile. "So we're okay?"

"Yes, we're okay. More than okay. Elise, I didn't mean for things to end up like this. I should have realised how you felt being cooped up like that."

"Yeah you and Dean were being dickheads about it." Elise shot back teasingly.

"Dickheads?? We were just trying to look after you guys!"

"Little tip for you, mate…we can look after ourselves. I'm pretty sure that lot back at the diner thought we'd escaped custody the way you two were standing there."

Sam considered that for a moment. His face screwing up a little in a sign of discomfort about how that scene had played out. "Alright, I'll admit we could have handled that better…"

"You think?"

"I was just worried about you, Elise. If anything happened to you…." The sentence died off as Sam held back from voicing his fear.

Elise could see it written all over Sam. His past fear constantly replaying in his mind again and again, causing him to hold back emotionally, scared to commit himself to anyone in case he lost them too. " I'm not Jess, Sam."

"I know that."

"And you can't always protect me either. What are you going to do? Chain me to your side? Not that the idea of being attached to your hip isn't appealing…but…" Elise raised an eyebrow, a playful smile appearing long enough to receive one in return from Sam. She wanted to go back to that open field behind the motel, back to just her and Sam brushing up against each other. Back to making silly little daisy chains for him to wear. The last seven weeks had been hard on Elise, being so far from her family, especially since she was totally cut off from them. But Sam had made it bearable. He'd been the shining light at the end of that long tunnel, keeping her warm and safe at night when the nightmares came. Keeping her company during the day, simply because he liked to. If Elise had thought she was falling for Sam before this? There was no doubt at all in her mind now that she had. In a world that was climbing back from Hell itself, Sam was the one thing to Elise that made sense and kept her sane.

"I've had a bad track record with women. Jess, Madison…." Sam knew there were other names he could add to the list. Not all of them had ended in tragedy, but even the fact he wasn't able to stay with them, that he had been forced to leave behind Sarah and Laurie, made Sam start to think he was cursed. And then there was Meg. She was one major regret for Sam, simply because his meeting her, brought so much pain to Sam, Dean and even his father.

"I'm not them, Sam. I'm not going anywhere…okay? You think I don't worry just as much about you? Every time you and Dean drive out that gate, I wonder if it's the last time I'm going to see you. It's not like you guys live normal nine to five lives." Elise paused for a moment, her nose wrinkling slightly in thought. "Come to think of it? What's bloody normal these days anyway?"

Sam couldn't say anything, choosing to listen, rather than talk. He wondered what Jess would have made of his life if he had ever told her. Would she have reacted the same way Cassie had with Dean? Freaking out and thinking Sam was trying to break off the relationship? Or would she have accepted it? Maybe he could have been happy? And maybe…Jess would have slowly drifted away from him. Because how could he have continued hunting, leaving Jess at home, telling everyone he was away on business? Was he ever going to have what he wanted in life? Could he ever dare to think of having what Dean had? Skye and Connor, a ready made family that adored him no matter what.

Sam knew that Dean gave his all when it came to love. There was no hesitation, no mixed emotions. He loved hard and lived fast.

" I wish I knew…" Sam answered honestly in response to Elise's comment. He wasn't exactly the poster child for normal. None of his family were anymore…

Sam's attention was back on the road, when he felt Elise's hand brush his thigh. He reached down, gently picked her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it softly. There was a surge that went through him, as if everything was finally falling into place and making sense at last. Dean had the right idea. The world was a changed place and you had to hold onto what you wanted with all you had.

Without warning, Sam swung the car down a small side road, fields rushing past them until they came to set of gates. He shut off the engine and sat there for a moment, one hand still on the wheel, the other hand holding Elise's.

"Sam?"

"Do you trust me?"

"What? Of course I do."

"Then let's go for a walk. It's a nice night outside….why rush back to Bobby's?"

Elise looked at Sam, wondering for a brief moment if he was losing his mind. He sounded like a teenager and the wide, expectant grin on his face swept away any thoughts or concerns. Elise wanted to be alone with him….and she was being given that chance. "You're on, mate….lead the way."

Climbing out of the Chevelle, Sam walked around to Elise's side of the car and slid his jacket off, putting it around Elise's shoulders before he offered her his hand again.

**xxxxxXXXXxxxxxx**

The Impala rolled into Singer's Auto Yard at a quiet rumble, Dean letting his baby coast up to the front door so that he didn't disturb anyone inside. It was night now and all the lights were on inside, lighting up the yard around the house.

"How are we going to tell them?" Skye asked, looking a little apprehensively towards the house. Normally, news of a baby was a welcome thing, but Skye knew that Dean's deal made it all the more bittersweet. Would they be happy? How would John react? Or Sam for that matter? Skye wanted to believe she already knew, having seen the way they were with Connor, but the fear of rejection was so deeply instilled in her now, that Skye couldn't help but worry.

"Hey….it's gonna be okay. Trust me." Dean assured her. "This isn't your parents, Skye. It'll be fine…" He sometimes hoped to cross paths with Skye's parents, just so he had a chance to tell them how big a mistake they had made. It pissed him off to see the damage they had done. Damage he was sure they weren't aware of or cared about. No family was perfect, Dean knew that as well as anyone. But he knew his family.

Climbing out of the Impala, Dean led the way into the house, noting right away, the tension in the air. He drew Skye closer to him, making his way through to the living room where his father was pacing the floor, his wings tucked in tight behind him while Bobby was loading weapons over in the dining area.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Dean asked, all his senses going to an even higher state of alert.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Connor rushed over to Skye, launching himself into her arms and hugging her tightly. Skye withdrew to an armchair in the corner of the room, clutching Connor to her as she sat down, watching everything anxiously.

"What the hell took you so long?" John stopped pacing and locked onto Dean, striding across the room until he was face to face with his son. "Your brother's not with you?"

"What? No…." Dean shook his head even as he looked around, as though Sam would magically appear now that he was here. "He's not here? Sam was in front of me."

"That's it. I'm going looking for him." John pushed past Dean, heading for the door.

"I'm coming with you." Dean turned to follow immediately.

"No! You stay here. That's an order. I'm not looking for the pair of you." John turned back and blocked Dean's path. "I mean it, Dean."

"I'm not sitting on my hands if Sam's missing!" Dean's mind was racing, trying to think of where Sam could be, if anything could have forced the Chevelle off the road. Wouldn't he have seen it? Dammit, why the hell did he send Sam ahead of him?

"I can move faster alone!"

Both Winchesters were face to face, neither giving an inch. John understood Dean's need to find Sam, but he didn't want to risk both his boys. Dean wasn't going to be swayed however and after another silent heartbeat between them, John spun on his heel and marched for the door. "Fine! Bobby, ride shotgun!"

Before Dean could say anything, Bobby was beside him, ready to move. "Come on, time's a'wasting, boy." He handed Dean a two way unit, knowing that John carried it's twin on his belt.

Looking back at Skye, Dean's face was grim and full of worry for his brother. " Skye, you lock the door and don't let anyone in. Okay? No matter what."

"I've got it, Dean. Go." Skye nodded, still holding Connor close. " Be careful." The door closed behind them as Skye got to her feet and went to lock it. Connor was behind her as she turned around, his big blue eyes looking up expectantly. " Ammy okay?"

"He'll be fine, sweetie." Skye scooped Connor up and headed for the kitchen. "Come on, let's see if Bobby has any of those cookies you like…" She glanced back towards the door as she heard the Impala start up again, quietly praying that they would be back soon, safe and sound.

**xxxxXXXXxxxx**

John had barely taken four steps from the porch before he broke into a run, his wings fanning out behind him before he launched into the air with a powerful downward stroke. Singer's Auto Yard quickly disappeared into the distance as John let his wings carry him high enough to get a good view of the land. Being half demon had other advantages too. His night vision wasn't as good as it had been as a full demon…but it was still far superior to human eyes.

Sweeping along the road that should have brought Sam and Elise home safely from Kyle, John was looking for any tell tale signs of the Chevelle having left the road. There were no skid marks, no broken fences. Nothing to offer a clue to where Sam was. He was trying not to let it grow into panic yet, pushing it down inside and allowing it simmer into anger instead. The girls taking off in the Impala had hardly surprised John. He should have seen it coming and when it happened, it had actually been amusing, watching both his sons panic.

But now it was anything but funny. Sam was missing. Elise too. There were countless numbers of demons roaming free now and along with them, other supernatural beings had begun to show themselves more. Bolstered by the damage done by the demons. More confident…. More willing to spill blood.

The night air swept easily under his wings as John banked on the breeze, swinging away from Kyle and back tracking towards Bobby's again. There'd been so many times that John had ignored calls from both his boys. Because it was supposed to have protected them while John closed in on the Demon.

Now all John wanted was a working cell network that would allow him to call his son, to get some idea of where Sam was right now. If he was alright. He had to be alright. John blamed himself for this. He should have gone out sooner, should have been looking for both boys before the sun had set completely.

A vehicle, parked off down a side road. John instantly changed tact, his powerful black wings glistening in the moonlight as he tucked them in behind him and dove down, picking up speed. At the last minute, John pulled up, his wings snapping out at either side to buffer against the air like a set of feathery brakes. He hovered, gently stirring the air around him above the empty Chevelle. There was no sign of blood, no sign of a struggle……and then he heard it. The soft sound of laughter carrying on the air.

John unclipped the two way from his belt and hit the button on the side as he brought it up to his mouth. "Bobby, you read me? What's your position? Over."

"_Loud and clear, John. We're about 2 clicks west of the Yard. Where are you? Over."_

"I've found your car. Whiteman road, about four clicks south of your position. No sign of Sam or Elise though, over." John frowned as static suddenly filled the air before Dean's voice cut in, Apparently he had taken the handset from Bobby and the older hunter wasn't happy about it.

"_I swear to god, boy, I'll put my damn foot up your ass if you ever pull that shit with me again."_

"_Whatever, Bobby….. Dad, any idea what might have happened? Over." _

John shook his head a brief, grim smile appearing. That boy wasn't going to settle until he had his brother back. "Negative. There's no sign of any violence though. I'm going to look around. I'll be in contact. Over and out."

**xxxxxXXXXXxxxxx**

Sam was lying on his back beneath a tree, his t-shirt balled up under his head, his belt unclipped and his jeans half hanging off his hips. Elise was topless, her bra thrown somewhere in the grass behind her. Her jeans were unbuttoned and loosely sitting on her hips as she laid beside Sam, her head on his chest. They were both warm and content, despite the slight chill to the air.

"You ever looked up at the stars and wondered what's out there? I mean, really out there?" Sam asked, his voice soft and thoughtful.

"You getting all philosophical on me now? I thought you blokes were meant to fall asleep afterwards…you know, like cavemen?" Elise teased, sitting up a little and tracing small, tender kisses around Sam's left nipple.

A rumbling purr went through Sam's chest at the attention he was receiving from Elise. Her lips were tracing up along his collar bone towards the hollow of his throat. His eyes all but rolled back in his head as Elise suckled and nipped at his neck, her hand sliding back and forth lightly over his stomach, marvelling at how firm and muscular Sam was. Hunting certainly had it's perks…

With his eyes closed, enjoying every sensation across his skin, Sam allowed his hands to play across the Elise's breasts until the sound of wings filled the air. His first thought was that an owl had landed in the tree above them, until he heard furious voice that stopped any ideas his body might have had of making love to Elise a second time. It was better than a bucket of ice water as Sam scrambled backwards, his bare back hitting the tree behind him as Elise screamed in surprise and grabbed Sam's t-shirt to cover herself.

"What the fuck?! Sam! What the fuck are you doing out here?!" John was livid. He'd been expecting the worst…and instead, he found Sam playing around with Elise, letting his downstairs brain think for him. John expected that sort of behaviour from Dean, not Sam. Great, the younger Winchester was apparently picking up all the wrong ideas from his brother.

"Dad! Oh…shit…I…" Sam was fumbling over his words as he struggled to button up his jeans. He felt like a teenager caught on prom night, fooling about in the backseat of his father's car. Elise had already buttoned her blouse up haphazardly enough to cover herself, a brilliant red flush filling her face as she fumbled behind her for her discarded bra.

Hurried foot falls could be heard approaching and a moment later, two torches illuminated the area as Bobby and Dean appeared. For one instant, Dean was ready to tear into whatever the threat was to his brother…..and then his brain registered what it was seeing and Dean doubled over laughing.

"You gotta be kidding me? I just gave myself damn near a heart attack running….for this?" Bobby demanded, his voice a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"What the hell were you thinking, Sam?" John demanded, glancing at Dean and wondering if the boy was going to pull something he was laughing that hard. Trust Dean to find all this hilarious…although John had a suspicion that relief was a large factor behind all that laughter.

Sam's eyes were still wide, like a deer in the headlights as he spoke. "I…I wasn't thinking…other than how it was a nice night for a walk."

"Wash day….nothing clean…right?" Dean gasped out between snorting waves of laughter that were beginning to hurt his sides.

Sam narrowed his eyes at his brother, not appreciating the Terminator reference. "Shut up, Dean, you jerk."

"M...ma-hake me…b...b-bitch." Dean managed breathlessly, still laughing until he caught the withering glare from his father and fought to sober up, still sniggering quietly to himself.

"Come on, Elise…I'll drive you home." Bobby offered quietly, giving the girl an escape route that she gratefully took. There would be time later to talk to Sam and even take up from where they had been interrupted. But right now, all Elise wanted, was to be out of there before she died of embarrassment. She quickly hopped up from beside Sam, threw him a brief apologetic smile and went with Bobby, thankful that the older hunter was polite enough not to say anything to her as they walked back to the Chevelle.

"Come on, Casanova, I'm not standing around here all night. Let's go home." Dean told Sam, still fighting off bouts of sniggering. He held out a hand towards Sam, offering to help him up, when their father's voice cut in again.

"Not yet."

"Dad?" Dean turned, slightly surprised to hear the tone of his voice. Sam was okay…and although he'd made a stupid mistake, it was over. But no, it seemed Dad wasn't done with Sam yet.

"What the hell were you thinking, Sam? You realise the risk you took? Your brother and I thought something had damn well happened to you and here you are, getting laid? I thought I raised you better than that, Sam! Smarter than that!" John stepped towards Sam, ready to haul the boy up off the ground so he was looking him in the eye.

Dean moved, instantly blocking the way. "Whoa…Dad, no. Come on, he made a mistake. No one's hurt. Sam just needed some time alone with Elise. It's not a big deal, Dad."

John bristled for a moment longer. He didn't appreciate Dean stepping in as he always did. Even now, as adults, ready to defend his brother no matter what. Sam had gotten to his feet now and John could see his son was still deeply embarrassed by the whole situation.

"I just acted on impulse. I'm sorry. It won't happen again…._sir." _Sam spat the last word out angrily. Why the hell was Dean justifying his need to be with Elise? Why the hell did Sam need to explain anything? He was capable of protecting himself and Elise. Why didn't Dad see that?

"Don't you take that attitude with me, Sam."

"Or what, Dad? I'm not a kid anymore!" Sam exploded, feeling Dean pushing him back away from his father. "I don't have to stay here and listen to this!"

"Knock it off, both of you!" Dean's voice split the night air and made both Sam and John pause for a moment. He was standing between them, a place he had often found himself in the past.

John was still watching Sam, his wings quivering slightly as his back muscles tensed up with anger. Then as quickly as it came, the anger was gone. John didn't want to fight with Sam. He'd merely reacted out of anger. Even now, seven weeks after Gordon and Jo had attacked them, John found himself scared of losing his boys. He would always be scared of that. It seemed sometimes as though the whole world saw his family as a target. But that fear needed to be controlled or he was in danger of driving a wedge between him and Sam again.

"I'll see you two back at Bobby's. No detours." John instructed, giving both boys a firm look before he stalked away and launched himself into the air.

Dean watched his father for a moment, then turned and clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Come on, dude…let's go home and eat. I'm starving. Although you might want to put your shirt back on. I don't want you getting sweat and dirt all over my seats."

Sam shoved Dean away from him, starting to grin, relaxing now that Dad was gone. "You're just jealous, dude…"

"Whatever you need to believe to sleep at night, Sammy."

**xxxxXXXXxxxxx**

To say that an uncomfortable silence hung over the dining table, was the understatement of the century. John was sat at the head of the table, his wings gently spread to either side, making the scene almost comically angelic. Except no one was laughing.

Well, almost no one.

Elise refused to look at John, still highly embarrassed what happened and choosing to stare at her plate instead as she ate quietly, just picking at her food. Sam was beside her, his face creased into a scowl as he stabbed at his food sharply. He blamed himself for how Elise was feeling now and didn't know how to make it up to her. At the same time, he couldn't help but think back to when he was sixteen and Dad had caught him in the town library with Louise Nicholson. The Historic Battles section of the library had been one of his favourite haunts for weeks until Dad caught him with his hand up Louise's blouse. The lecture and consequent training session had been hard, but it had been Dean's flip-flopping between pride and brotherly teasing, that had almost driven Sam insane.

And here it was, happening again. Dad wasn't talking and Dean was trying not to snigger….and losing the battle miserably.

Skye was sat beside Dean, kicking him in the ankle to try and stop him from laughing. She had spoken to Elise when Bobby had first brought her home and knew what had happened. There was nothing funny about it from Elise's point of view but Dean apparently couldn't help himself and the stifling tension that was hanging over everyone was killing Skye.

Bobby was sat at the end of the table with Connor beside him in the high chair and the two were whispering back and forth, although what they would have to say to each other, Skye had no idea, but it was still sweet to see. As long as Bobby wasn't leading her son astray….

Something had to be done to break the tension. For Elise's sake. So Skye quietly put down her knife and fork, then cleared her throat politely. "I'm not entirely sure this is the best time, but Dean and I have something to tell you all."

Dean's quiet sniggering instantly stopped, becoming a startled choking cough before Dean was able to swallow his mouthful of food, looking at Skye with a stunned, _are you freaking nuts? _expression on his face.

"Dean?" John had put down his own utensils and was looking toward his son patiently awaiting whatever it was that needed to be said.

"I…uhhh…I mean, we…uhh.."

"What Dean's trying to say? Is that I'm pregnant…." Skye spoke up, rescuing him.

The entire table was frozen for a moment, stunned by the admission, before the room erupted. Sam was up and out of his chair, with Elise, rushing around to Skye and Dean. Sam clapping his brother on the back and grinning like an idiot while Elise hugged Skye…and then it was Sam's turn to hug Skye, picking her up off the ground in the process.

Dean looked over towards his father as he was hugged by Elise and then had Bobby there, patting him on the back.

John was still sat in his seat, but there was a quiet, proud smile on his face as he leaned his elbows on the table before him and knitted his fingers together. His son was going to be a father. After everything that had happened, all the horror they had faced, the pain, the loss….it seemed they were finally being given something back. He gave Dean a small nod, his smile growing slightly until it became wide and beaming, matching Dean's as John saw the way his son stood a little taller now. Words weren't needed. Dean knew how proud his father was of him and always had been.

**xxxxxXXXXXxxxxxx**

Everyone had finally gone to bed, the entire house falling silent except for the snoring that could be heard from both Bobby and John's rooms. Sleeping on his stomach didn't agree with John, apparently…but Bobby was just being Bobby when it came to snoring. Loud, long and scarily like a bear hibernating.

Dean checked on Connor again, pulling the blanket up over the little boy as he slept in a portable crib in the corner of the bedroom. He glanced over towards the bed, seeing Skye sound asleep, curled on her side towards his side of the bed. She looked so peaceful right now, just so relaxed and beautiful. It brought a smile to Dean's face as he quietly crossed the room and sat down in an old armchair by the window. He picked up the book resting on the table and opened it, his stomach knotting up a little as the pictures of demons and hellhounds seemed to leap out at him from the pages.

Everyone was looking for the means of breaking the deal. Dean had no doubts in his mind, that if it could be done? His father, brother and Bobby would find the means of doing it. There had to be other books, other rituals and rites they hadn't found yet.

Dean looked up from what he was reading, looking at Skye again and thinking of his baby growing inside her. A tiny little life he had helped create, a part of him that would carry on after he was gone.

It was strangely comforting to know if anything ever happened to him, that there was something of him left behind. Some indication beyond a gravestone and a muscle car to say he had been here.

But beyond that comfort, was the gnawing fear of what he was leaving behind. Dean was more determined than ever to fix this. To get out of this damn deal. There had to be a way…right? They just hadn't found it yet…

"Dean? You okay?" Skye sat up, half asleep, worry creasing her brow.

Closing the book and pushing away any thoughts of what lay ahead of him if he didn't find a way out, Dean got to his feet. " Yeah, babe….I'm fine."

He put the book down on the chair, kicked off his jeans and pulled his shirt over his head, letting it join his jeans in a pile on the floor before he slipped into bed beside Skye. She rolled over, allowing Dean to spoon up behind her, his hand resting lightly on her stomach. His thumb was lazily grazing back and forth over her skin as he closed his eyes and breathed in the soft scent of Skye's hair. She pushed back against him, melting into his embrace and sliding a leg back possessively over his, locking Dean too her.

He was warm, he felt safe and loved. It was a moment that he wanted to last forever.

Dean just need to find the answer…and he still had time.

**xxxxxXXXXXXXxxxxx**

_A/N#2: Hope you enjoyed guys!! Keep an eye out for Rockabye, Coming Soon, as the Protectorverse continues..._


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